It is relatively common for people to underestimate the potential impact of drunk driving charges in Massachusetts. Drivers who get arrested for operating under the influence (OUI) charges are at risk of a variety of consequences, even if no crash occurs.
State law allows the Massachusetts criminal courts to impose several different penalties for an OUI offense. There are fines and jail time possible. It is also standard practice to suspend or revoke the driver’s license of a motorist accused of an OUI offense.
Driver’s license penalties can be incredibly disruptive. They can interfere with someone’s ability to get to and from their job. In many cases, being unable to drive can even affect job performance. Someone who has lost their driver’s license is dependent on public transportation or costly on-demand rideshare services to get where they need to go. The longer a driver’s license suspension lasts, the more inconvenient it becomes.
How long may someone lose their license after an OUI conviction?
Permanent revocation is possible
How long the courts expect someone to go without driving privileges depends on their prior offenses. Someone who has never gotten arrested for drunk driving before faces the most lenient penalties.
Anyone who fails a breath test in Massachusetts faces an administrative license suspension. The state can suspend their license for 30 days because they had a breath test result of 0.08% or higher.
After a conviction, the state suspends someone’s license for even longer. A first OUI offense leads to a one-year license suspension. A second offense costs someone their license for two years. A third OUI leads to an eight-year license suspension. A driver could lose their license for a decade after a fourth OUI conviction. A fifth conviction may result in a lifetime license revocation.
The escalating penalties associated with subsequent OUI charges are among the compelling reasons to fight charges after an arrest. People may have to consider increased insurance costs and the potential need to install an ignition interlock device (IID) as well.
Fighting back against impaired driving allegations could help a motorist preserve their driving privileges. There could be a variety of different defense strategies for someone to utilize depending on their unique circumstances.
