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Traffic & DWI/DUI / Limited Driving Privilege

Limited Driving Privilege

License Suspension

When charged and/or convicted of a North Carolina DUI or North Carolina DWI, the loss of your license serves as a great interruption to your life. Fortunately, there are several options available to most to obtain a limited driving privilege to get you back on the road quickly and legally. Below is a review of some of the options available to Defendants facing DWI charges or convictions.

Due To DWI Charge

When charged with a North Carolina DWI, a defendant’s license will automatically be suspended for 30 days. On the 11th day of that 30 day period, the Defendant can apply for a limited driving privilege assuming certain criteria are met:

At the time of DWI offense, the Defendant had a valid license or it had been expired for less then one year.
The Defendant does not have any outstanding DWI charges outside the one in question.
The Defendant has completed a Substance Abuse Assessment by a certified substance abuse education center.

This limited driving privilege is only for the period between day 11 and day 30 of the suspension. The permitted time of travel is between the hours of 6 am and 8 pm, Monday through Friday. If additional time is necessary due to school or work, supporting documentation will be needed to show the need for additional time of travel.

Due To DWI Conviction

Once convicted of Driving While Intoxicated in North Carolina, a Defendant’s license will automatically be suspended for 12 months. The North Carolina DUI Defendant may be eligible for a Limited Driving Privilege during that 12-month suspension period. In order to qualify, the Defendant cannot have any other outstanding DWI charges, must have had a valid license at the time of the DWI offense (or if their license was expired, it was not expired for more than 12 months from the date of the DWI offense), and must have been sentenced to either a level 5, level 4, or level 3.

If the Defendant had a blood/breath alcohol concentration of .15 or above, they will be required to have an interlock installed on their vehicle for 1 year. If the Defendant is sentenced at a level 2, level 1, or Aggravated level 1, they will not be permitted to petition the court for a limited driving privilege.

Other Requirements

In addition, to the above mentioned requirements, the petition must include proof of insurance (DL-123 form), a certified copy of a 7-year driving record (good only for 30 days), and proof of a Substance Abuse Assessment by a certified substance abuse education center.