DWI refers to driving while intoxicated. It is the act of operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, of 0.08 percent or more. Drivers who are driving erratically, involved in an accident, or otherwise suspected of DWI may be required to submit to tests to determine their sobriety.

In California, drivers are required to take either blood or breath tests unless health issues or suspected drug use indicates the need for a urine test instead. Refusing these tests leads to penalties that can include a yearlong license suspension for first-time offenders.

As soon as you have been arrested for DWI, a process is set in motion whereby your license will be automatically suspended if you do not contact the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Requesting an Administrative Hearing and presenting your case may result in your continued ability to drive.

If you miss the 10-day deadline for requesting your Administrative Hearing or you lose the hearing, your license will be suspended for at least four months. If this is not your first offense, your license may be suspended even longer. Drivers with two DWI offenses may be facing a one-year suspension, while drivers with three offenses may be facing a two-year suspension.

DWI Attorney

Some factors may raise the stakes and lead to felony DWI charges. If you have three previous DWI convictions in the past decade, if someone else was hurt or killed in an accident related to your DWI, or if you had an excessive BAC, you can be charged with a felony.

The consequences for DWI in California can be severe. You may be facing from a few days to four years in jail, fines of up to $1,000, a mandatory alcohol or drug offender’s program, and probation. Your insurance rates may go up due to the points against your license, or you may become uninsurable.

DWI charges are serious and can lead to severe, life-altering consequences. The assistance of a seasoned DUI/DWI attorney can make a profound difference in the results of your case and may provide you with a far more positive outcome.