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If you are convicted of a DUI, possibly one of the most burdensome penalties is license suspension. Post-conviction, your license is automatically suspended. In New Jersey, how long will depend on several factors, but finding your mobility more limited is often a difficult disruption to a person’s daily life. Getting to school or work becomes much more of a task. This blog post will analyze the typical lengths of license suspension, as well as teach you what you need to know about getting your license reinstated. If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, you’re likely worried about how this may affect you going forward, so don’t hesitate to call a Mercer County DUI lawyer right away.
How Long Does a New Jersey Driver’s License Suspension Last After a DUI?
The length of a license suspension is usually someone’s top concern after being charged or convicted of a DUI. The biggest factor in determining this is whether the present DUI offense is your first offense. Subsequent offenses are usually penalized more harshly.
So, if this is your first DUI offense, the license suspension at stake is between three months and one year. The suspension will last three months if your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is between 0.08% and 0.10%, but that increases to a minimum of seven months if your BAC is above 0.10%.
However, for the second DUI offense on your record, you may have your driver’s license suspended for two years. If you get a third or subsequent DUI, you’ll be looking at suspension of up to 10 years, with the possibility of permanently losing your license. It is important to remember that, while these are the standard penalties, the court has the discretion to extend these sentences if they feel it is appropriate to do so given the circumstances of your arrest.
Your suspension will begin as soon as you are convicted. To regain your license, you will need to apply for reinstatement and then pay the corresponding fee.
How Do I Get My License Reinstated?
At the conclusion of your suspension, you will be able to get your license reinstated. You might need to comply with training courses, finish an alcohol and drug abuse prevention program, or retake your driving test. You are required to pay a reinstatement fee of $100, in addition to civil monetary penalties associated with your conviction, if any.
Consequences of Further DUI Convictions
As we discussed above, your prior record is the most relevant to how lengthy a suspension will be. In the same vein, if after this conviction, you are accused and convicted again under a year later, your license suspension may be suspended anew. How long the duration of this extension depends on how much time passed between the previous violation and this new one.
If you receive another DUI within 10-12 months of your license reinstatement, it will be suspended for an additional 45 days. That jumps to 60 days if the new conviction occurs within seven to nine months after your last reinstatement, and then again, to 90 days, if the new offense happened within six months.
