Were you arrested for your 3rd Atlanta DUI?
After your third DUI arrest, you know your license may get suspended, and you will have to deal with the courthouse charging you with a third DUI. However, the state and the law treat a 3rd DUI differently, and much more seriously. Your license will not just get suspended, but it will be revoked.
After a third DUI within 5 years, the driver will be marked by the Department of Driver Services (DDS) as a “habitual violator.” This means your license will be revoked for five (5) years. In addition, you will have to surrender all license plates for all your vehicles. There is not even a limited use permit available for the first 2 years of the 5 year revocation.
There is absolutely no driving permission for at least two years. After waiting two years, you may try and get a limited use permit, but there is no guarantee the judge will allow you to obtain a probationary ignition interlock license. With a limited driving permit, you could go to and from work, to and from school, medical appointments, DUI school and alcohol abuse counseling meetings. The court can also limit a driver to certain routes, times of travel, and specify which cars you can drive. The court can also revoke the probationary license for traffic or alcohol violations.
Third DUI Driver's License Consequences
For many people, not being allowed to drive for a full two years will put their job and their livelihood at risk. It will also be a strain on their personal, family and social life.
In order to drive again after two years, the limited ignition interlock driving permit must be approved by a judge after required documentation is submitted. This includes: successful completion of a state-approved Risk Reduction Course; clinical evaluation and enrollment in a substance abuse treatment program; payment for and installation of an ignition interlock device.
It takes at a full 5 years before a driver can get their Georgia state driver's license reinstated by Driver Services. If all DDS requirements for reinstatement are met, a driver will finally be permitted to drive again without the permit limitations and ignition breath machine.
Georgia Third Time DUI Lawyer
Don't let your third DUI arrest turn into your third DUI conviction. You don't have to plead guilty, and you shouldn't before you talk to an experienced Atlanta DUI lawyer. It may be tough, but there are many ways to fight a third DUI, and keep the conviction off your record. Don't forget, a third DUI will end your driving privileges for years, and label you a “habitual violator.” The Georgia DUI Attorneys at Lawson and Berry have years of experience defending clients charged with multiple DUI charges. We understand what is at risk, and how to fight the charges. We have even taken the same DUI detection training as the Atlanta police departments, so we understand how they operate. Our Georgia DUI Lawyers will use this training, and their extensive courtroom experience to identify weaknesses in the prosecutor's case, to get the charges against you reduced or totally dropped. Call us anytime, day or night, so we can talk about your case, and what options you have to fight the DUI charges.