One of the most common ways that people can lose their driver’s license is because of a drunk driving conviction. In Michigan, drunk driving is called Operating While Intoxicated or OWI. A drunk driving conviction can result in a temporary license suspension or an administrative revocation. Which happens to you depends on the number of prior convictions that you have for operating while intoxicated.
A first OWI conviction comes with a license suspension of thirty days. After that, your license is restricted for another 150 days. This conviction also brings six points on your driver’s license, so it’s easy to face another suspension if you get any other points on your license in a short period of time. A Traverse City license restoration attorney can help you if you’re facing a drunk driving charge. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you might be able to negotiate a plea to a reduced charge that results in only a license restriction rather than a complete suspension.
In the case of a first offense drunk driving conviction, your license reinstatement is typically automatic. That is, you don’t have to prove to the state that you’re fit to drive after you wait out the period of suspension. Instead, you can pay a reinstatement fee and get back on the road. There’s no chance for a hardship appeal for a license suspension for a first drunk driving offense. That means that you can’t ask the circuit court to make an exception for you on the basis of hardship or any other grounds. Instead, you have to wait until you’ve served your suspension.
For a second drunk driving offense, the answer may not be so simple. If you get caught drunk driving within seven years of a prior conviction, you can face a charge of second offense drunk driving. The penalties in criminal court are much more serious for a second offense, and the Secretary of State penalties are more serious, too. A Traverse City license restoration lawyer can help you address both the criminal charges and the administrative penalties that you may be facing.
If you’re convicted of a second offense drunk driving charge, you face an administrative revocation of your driver’s license for at least a year. That means you have to wait at least one year before you can apply to have your license reinstated. After that year goes by, you have to apply to the Secretary of State to prove that you’re a good risk to have you back on the roads. Reinstating your privilege to drive isn’t automatic. Instead, you have to show the hearing officer at the Secretary of State that you deserve the privilege.
You should talk to a Grand Traverse license restoration attorney as soon as you know that you’re facing a license suspension. You need to use your year of suspension wisely to make sure that your application for a reinstatement is successful. You need to document proof of sobriety. Usually this includes regular attendance at alcoholics anonymous meetings and substance abuse treatment. The hearing officer at your Grand Traverse license restoration hearing wants to know that you’ve made substantive changes to address any substance abuse issues that you might have.
If you get an additional license revocation within seven years of a prior revocation, you have to wait at least five years before you apply for your license reinstatement. If you’re facing a driver’s license suspension Traverse City because of a medical reason, your suspension might be for an indefinite period of time. In that case, a Grand Traverse license restoration lawyer can help you document your fitness to drive in order to present the information to a hearing officer.
There are many reasons that you should work with a Traverse City license restoration lawyer if you’re sick of living without your driver’s license. As skilled and experienced Michigan license restoration attorneys, we know many of the reasons that license restoration efforts fail. If your attempt to reinstate your license isn’t successful on the first try, you have to wait a period of time before you try again. That makes it important to do all that you can to get it right the first time.
When you work with us, we guide you through preparing your documents. We help you learn what to expect at the Secretary of State hearing. Then, we go to court with you. We’re there to make sure that we ask the right questions in order to help the hearing officer understand all of the positive changes that you’ve made in your life. That way, you can find success the very first time you try to reinstate your license.
Even if the Secretary of State chooses not to reinstate your license, there are some cases where you can appeal to the Circuit Court where you live to ask for a full or restricted driver’s license. It’s important to work with an experienced license restoration attorney Traverse City in order to pursue your case in the best possible light.
If you have a Traverse City license restoration issue, we invite you to contact us. To us, each client is the most important. We help you do everything we can to aggressively pursue your Michigan driver’s license reinstatement. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can begin working on your case. We look forward to hearing from you. Please call us at (231) 486-6366.