The Law & Penalties
When you are arrested for DUI in Alabama, two problems immediately emerge. The first, obviously, is the underlying criminal charge of DUI. As well, an administrative driver license problem surfaces. These two problems are separate and distinct.
Though your driver license can be suspended, revoked or cancelled in Alabama upon criminal conviction for DUI, the first opportunity for the State to suspend your driver license is via an administrative action that takes effect 45 days from the date of your arrest.
An administrative suspension is triggered by the refusal of a defendant to submit to a blood alcohol test after they are legally arrested for DUI or the taking of a blood alcohol test after a legal arrest for DUI that is over the legal limit.
The length of the administrative suspension imposed by the State varies in length depending on your “alcohol or drug-related enforcement contacts” during the preceding 5 year period. The administrative license suspensions range from a minimum of 90 days to a maximum of 5 years.
THERE IS HOPEwhen dealing with an administrative suspension. Action can be taken to restore your driving privilege and or shorten the period of administrative suspension.
ACTION NEED BE TAKEN WITHIN 10 DAYS FROM THE DATE OF YOUR ARREST TO PRESERVE YOUR DRIVER LICENSE.
PERIODS OF SUSPENSION
32-5A-304 Period of suspension; relation to Section 32-5A-191.
(a) A driving privilege suspension shall become effective 45 days after the person has received a notice of intended suspension as provided in Section 32-5A-303, or is deemed to have received a notice of suspension by mail as provided in Section 32-5A-302 if no notice of intended suspension was served.
(b) The period of driving privilege suspension under this section shall be as follows:
(1) Ninety days if the driving record of a person shows no prior alcohol or drug-related enforcement contacts during the immediately preceding five years.
(2) One year if the driving record of a person shows one prior alcohol or drug-related enforcement contact during the immediately preceding five years.
(3) Three years if the driving record of a person shows two or three alcohol or drug-related enforcement contacts during the immediately preceding five years.
(4) Five years if the driving record of a person shows four or more alcohol or drug-related enforcement contacts during the immediately preceding five years.
(5) For purposes of this section, "alcohol or drug-related enforcement contacts" shall include any suspension under this article, any suspension or revocation entered in this or any other state for a refusal to submit to chemical testing under an implied consent law, and any conviction in this or any other state for a violation which involves driving a motor vehicle while having an unlawful percent of alcohol in the blood, or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or alcohol and drugs except that no more than one alcohol or drug-related contact on any one DUI arrest may be considered by the department in determining the period of suspension.
(c) If a license is suspended under this section for having .08 or more by weight of alcohol in the blood of the person and the person is also convicted on criminal charges arising out of the same occurrence for a violation of Section 32-5A-191, the suspension under this section shall be imposed, but no period of suspension or revocation shall be imposed under Section 32-5A-191. If a license is suspended under this section for having .08 or more by weight of alcohol in the blood of the person and the criminal charge against the person for violation of Section 32-5A-191 is dismissed, nolle prossed, or the person is acquitted of the charge, the director shall rescind the suspension order and remove the administrative suspension from the person's driving record.
Please note that, while every effort is made to regularly update the herein stated law, legislative action and or appellate court decisions may have changed the herein stated
