What happens to my driver's license when I get a DWI?

In Louisiana, when a person is arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), his driver’s license will also be suspended in an administrative proceeding that is entirely separate from the criminal prosecution.

The first step in this process occurs during the arrest, itself. During the arrest, law enforcement will read a series of instructions and regulations to the arrested person advising him of his rights related to the breathalyzer.

The law at the time of this writing requires a person operating a motor vehicle on the public highways of Louisiana to submit to a chemical test of his blood, breath, or other bodily substance if an officer believes he is operating or “in actual physical control” of a motor vehicle and a law enforcement officer has “reasonable grounds to believe he is under the influence of alcohol beverages or “any abused substance or controlled dangerous substance.” (La. R.S. 32:661).

If the arrested person refuses to submit to testing or submits to testing and his results are above the legal limit of .08 (or .02 in the event the arrested person is under the age of 21), his driver’s license will be suspended for a period ranging from 90 days to 365 days. In order to reinstate his driver’s license after a DWI arrest, an arrested person usually must provide proof of additional auto insurance (SR-22) and install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle he operates. 

The arrested person has 30 days to appeal the suspension of his driver’s license. 

If you have been arrested for DWI and are concerned about the status of your driver’s license, please call us for a consult at (318) 459-9111.