Without any complicating factors, a DUI arrest in Florida can still be stressful and difficult. However, a DUI arrest that happens in Florida when you are from out of state can be particularly problematic…
You are likely to experience frustration, fear, and even anxiety about having to deal with these problems from long distance. You may also have questions about your driving privileges…but do DUI charges follow you home? Can they impact your driving privileges in your home state?
The tourist and business climate of Florida attracts many visitors every year. During their limited stay, many individuals find themselves facing DUI charges or other criminal offenses. Their travel plans often require that they leave the state of Florida before they can deal with their DUI charges.
Double Trouble!
Under the DUI laws on the books in Florida, a DUI charge has the potential for two different driver license suspensions.
1.) Administrative – This happens on the night of the arrest as a result of a breath test that reads 0.08 or higher or as a refusal to be tested or participate in a breath test.
2) Court-ordered Suspension – This happens after an individual has been convicted for a DUI offense. An out-of-state driver facing DUI in Florida could lose their driving privileges both in Florida and in their home state.
Even though your driver’s license was issued by another state, Florida could seek administrative suspension of your driving privileges in your home state. This is because the National Driver Registry has 45 member states, which honor all drivers’ license suspensions issued by other states.
Out of State…and Out of Time!
There are some methods available to challenge the administrative suspension of your driver’s license, as well as for challenging the DUI case in court. This administrative suspension must be dealt with within ten days of your DUI arrest. Since a DUI charge in the state of Florida poses a double threat to your driving privileges, it is essential to respond quickly and assertively.
What Your Jacksonville DUI Attorney Can Do
As soon as you realize that you are facing a DUI, contact your Jacksonville DUI attorney as soon as possible to learn whether he/she can help you stop the administrative driver’s license suspension. Even if you are from out of state, working with a Jacksonville DUI attorney can help to challenge this administrative suspension and also be extremely helpful in receiving a hardship license for purposes such as attending:
- Work
- School
- Church or religious services
- Medical appointments
- Other needs
Your attorney can also help you get a copy of the police report, the breath test report, and other essential records associated with your case and fill you in on how to fulfill the court obligations associated with the case in your home state without having to return to Florida.
What Your Jacksonville DUI Attorney Can Do
If you have returned to your home state, and you are in the process of working with a Jacksonville DUI attorney, he or she can handle your first court date in Florida without mandating you return to Florida to attend. This can make things much easier for you—especially since you have a life to deal with once you return home.
Your attorney should conduct a full review of the evidence and be able to advise you about possible next steps and what you should do to comply with all the rules and regulations both in your home state and in the State of Florida. Having an attorney at your side from the outset can make this easier and also show that you can take the matter seriously to the court.
Contact Your Jacksonville DUI Attorney
Discuss your comprehensive strategy with your attorney. In many cases, you can work with your Florida DUI attorney over the phone at 904-414-4906 to figure out the strategy for your case and to determine what you do need to do.
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