You may have heard a local DUI attorney in Clearwater talk about a hardship license, and you may be wondering what exactly it is and how it can help you. A hardship license is a temporary license you can apply for if your driver license has been suspended. It allows you to drive for business, educational, religious, or medical reasons. Being charged with DUI automatically suspends your driver license. However, applying for a hardship license will allow you to stay on the road. An experienced DUI lawyer can review your case and give you an honest assessment of your chances of obtaining a hardship license.
Avoid a Suspended License After a DUI
If you’ve been stopped for DUI, you’ll be issued a DUI citation. That citation will act as a ten-day temporary license. After the ten-day period expires, your license suspension will last 6 to 12 months. During this ten-day period, you can request a formal review hearing at the Bureau of Administrative Reviews Office to apply for a hardship license. A DUI attorney in Clearwater can guide you through the formal review hearing and help you fill out the hardship license application.
How Do I Get a Hardship License?
In addition to requesting a formal review hearing, you will have to enroll in DUI School and provide proof within ten days of your stop. You must also go to the Bureau of Administrative Reviews Office. There, you will fill out the waiver form and pay a $25 hardship hearing fee within the ten-day timeframe.
Your DUI attorney will request a formal review hearing and prepare you so that you know what to expect. The hearing officer will ask you why you need a hardship license. They will also ask if you will provide a breath sample if an officer pulls you over for driving under the influence in the future. You must answer ‘yes’ to the Breathalyzer question to qualify for a hardship license. Later, to reinstate your driver license, you’ll need the required documentation and $225 in fees.
How a DUI Attorney at McDermott Law Firm, P.A. Can Help
If you’ve been pulled over for driving under the influence in Clearwater, contact a local DUI attorney immediately. Acting quickly is essential to helping you remain on the road after a DUI. At McDermott Law Firm, P.A. we can help guide you through the DMV’s hardship license process and the criminal court case. Give us a call today at 727-367-1080 to get started.
