If you're from Georgia, one of the more distressing things that can happen to you is to be in another state, whether for vacation or for business, and get arrested for driving under the influence (DUI). Now you're miles away from home, and unable to drive your car because your license has been suspended.
The first problem that you'll be facing is how to get home. Without being able to drive legally, you could use buses, trains, or maybe get a good friend to come out and drive you back. If you're far away, though, flying might be your best option.
Unfortunately, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has stringent requirements for IDs, and if you don't meet them, you'll be hard pressed to get past security. The TSA demands that all IDs show your picture, as well as your name, date of birth, and gender, and have both an expiration date and a tamper-resistant feature. The following IDs are examples of what meets there conditions:
- A U.S. passport or passport card,
- A foreign passport,
- U.S. military IDs,
- Native American tribal photo IDs,
- Permanent resident cards,
- Border crossing cards,
- Department of Homeland Security-issued Trusted Traveler cards or enhanced driver's licenses, or
- An airline-issued ID.
If you have access to any of these other forms of identification, bring them with you to the airport, and you'll be fine without your driver's license. If you have them, but left them at home, try to get them mailed to you, if possible. If you don't have any of these alternative forms of ID, then you'll want to bring all the ID documents that you can, and get to the airport several hours before your scheduled flight and explain at the ticket booth that your license has been suspended for DUI. Your flight carrier should be able to work with TSA to make something work out.
Unfortunately, this will not be the end to the inconvenience that an out-of-state DUI charge brings. Your presence may be required at your arraignment, depending on the state where you were arrested, requiring you to make the travel there, all over again.
Lastly, if your Georgia license gets suspended for DUI out-of-state, you won't be able to get it back until you've passed through the clearance procedures of both Georgia, as well as the arresting state. These procedures are different, depending on the state that you got arrested in. However, the Georgia Department of Public Safety needs proof that you've satisfied that state's requirements, so it demands a letter of clearance from the arresting state, saying that they are fine with you getting your Georgia license back. Georgia's clearance procedures make you wait 120 days, and then require a Certificate of Completion from an approved substance abuse program, as well as the appropriate reinstatement fee.
The Attorneys at Lawson and Berry know full well that out-of-state DUI charges can somehow be more frustrating and inconvenient than those in the state of Georgia. If you're in this situation, call us today and we will walk you through the process.