Driver License Suspensions & Driver License Suspensions in DUI/OVI Cases in Ohio
Driver License Suspensions & Driver License Suspensions in DUI/OVI Cases in Ohio
DUI/OVI Conviction
For any driver convicted of a DUI offense, a mandatory license suspension will be imposed. First conviction in a 10-year period, the suspension can be between one to three years. A second conviction in a 10-year period, a suspension of one to seven years. With strike three in the same 10-year period, the driver should expect a minimum of two and up to a 12-year suspension. Felony DUI suspensions can be set for life.
Suspension for Refusal or Failed Breath Test
During an investigation, law enforcement may request a driver submit to a sobriety test. The suspect can refuse. They can take the test, showing either they are not legally intoxicated, or they are. Refusal and failure results in immediate suspension. Law enforcement confiscates the driver’s license on the scene.
Again, the state tracks these offenses over a ten-year period. The first refusal results in a mandatory one year suspension; the second, a mandatory two years; a third sees a mandatory three year suspension; the fourth in a decade imposes a mandatory five year DUI suspension.
In regards to failing the breathalyzer, a first offense imposes a mandatory 90 day suspension; the second, one year; the third failure results in a suspension of two years; and the fourth comes with a three year suspension.
Suspension for Driving Without Auto Insurance
The courts account for offenses where the driver does not have valid insurance at the time of the incident. The first time, a driver has their license suspended. This suspension stays in place until the driver has paid penalties and license reinstatement fees, and until they obtain insurance. A second incident will include the fees and penalties, but the suspension will be one year. The third offense imposes a two-year suspension, penalties, and fees.
Driving Without a Valid License
Penalties for drinking and driving with an invalid license varies. There can be a minor misdemeanor conviction if no prior offenses are on records and said license’s expiration is less than six months old. Four or more convictions over a three year period or if the driver has never had a valid license will be considered a first degree misdemeanor and result in stronger sentencing.
Driving with a Suspended License
If law enforcement discovers the license is suspended during an investigation, expect the court to impose a mandatory suspension of the license for up to a year. The court can also sentence an offender to up to a half year in jail and a fine at a maximum of $1,000.
Driving under DUI Suspension
If a driver is caught behind the wheel legally intoxicated with a suspended license, the driver will face first degree misdemeanors for the first two offenses over a six year period. The first offense will include a potential six-month jail sentence of which three days is mandatory, a fine of up $1,000, an extended license suspension of up to a year, and legal immobilization of the vehicle for thirty days. The second offense can lead to a year in jail, a $2,500 fine, a one-year extended suspension, and sixty days vehicle immobilization.