How to Get Your License Back After a DUI in Florida

After receiving a conviction for driving under the influence, or DUI, you may be considering ways to reinstate your license. In Florida, a DUI is a criminal offense. To prove the criminal act, the state must establish that you were operating a vehicle while impaired by a drug or alcohol. In the case of alcohol, your blood alcohol level must register at .08 or higher. The state determines driver’s license reinstatements based on how many DUI convictions are on that record.

How to Get a Hardship License in Florida

For the first DUI offense, the state will revoke your license for 180 days to one year. If the offense includes a charge of serious harm, then the revocation could be as long as three years. Before your suspension ends, you can apply for a hardship license.

If your conviction included an order to complete DUI School or a substance treatment program, you must finish these courses within 90 days of the state reinstating your license. A delay in completing the courses will result in a cancellation of your driver’s license until you do.

How Much Does it Cost to Reinstate Your Driver’s License After a DUI in Florida?

For a full reinstatement, plan to take the state’s required exam. Also, you will owe fees including an administrative fee of $130 and a revocation fee of $75. You may also have to pay a basic license fee. To get your license back, you must prove that you have auto insurance. Make sure that your agent sets your bodily injury liability insurance at $10,000 per person and $20,000 for each occurrence.

Second DUI Conviction

If your second offense occurs five years or more following your first one, then Florida will revoke your license for 180 days to one year. When you incur a second offense within five years of your first, the state will revoke your license for at least five years.

After one year, you can request a hardship license. For the reinstatement, Florida will require you to complete DUI School and a treatment program if the judge ordered you to do so before the licensing department will consider reinstating your license. You’ll also need a positive referral from the Special Services Program.

Consider discussing your situation with a DUI lawyer in Florida. He or she can review your case and guide you through the license reinstatement process. The same administrative and processing fees that the state required you to pay following your first DUI will be due for the second. You will also need the same level of insurance as you did following the first DUI conviction.

Third and Fourth DUI Conviction

When you’re facing a third offense, the state will revoke your license for 180 days to one year if the third offense happened 10 years or more following your second offense. If you acquired the third one within 10 years of the second, then the state will hand down a 10-year revocation.

Florida will also require you to wait at least two years before you can apply for a hardship license. As with a first and second DUI, you will need to complete the required education and treatment programs before the state will deem you eligible for a reinstatement of your license. You will also need to acquire the same insurance coverage as you did with the first and second DUIs.

With a fourth DUI conviction, the revocation period extends to five years before Florida will consider a hardship license request. As with your other DUI offenses, you will need to complete the same schooling and treatment programs, pay the state’s fees and obtain insurance.

Contact Hartpence Law Attorney for Legal Help after a DUI

If a DUI conviction is the cause of your revoked license, consider discussing your case with a Florida attorney who specializes in DUI convictions. We have the experience and skills to handle your lost driver’s license case.

For more information, call us at (855) 680-4911 or schedule a free consultation.

Disclaimer: This blog is for informational purposes only and does not create an attorney/client relationship.