A DUI conviction in South Carolina will remain on your adult criminal record for the rest of your life. The conviction will show on your South Carolina Driving record for ten years.
The ramifications of a DUI conviction can be even more detrimental in the following circumstances:
If you are on your employer’s auto insurance, they can terminate you;
If you are a college student in South Carolina, you can lose your financial aid, grants and scholarships as well as state tax credits. A DUI can keep you from getting the post-graduate job you had planned for;
If you hold a CDL, you could lose that CDL endoresement for 1 year with a DUI conviction, regardless of the type of vehicle you were operating when you were stopped by the police;
For out-of-state driver’s license holders, you will almost always suffer the same license suspensions in your home state as if you were licensed in South Carolina. Most states, including South Carolina, are members of the Interstate Driver’s License Compact (DLC) and the Non-Resident Violator Compact (NRVC). Member states treat convictions from other member states the same as if it happened locally.
You may also need a DMV “Implied Consent Hearing” just to avoid losing your license.
If you were arrested for DUI and given a notice of suspension for either:
(1) Refusing to give a blood, urine or breath sample or;
(2) Having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .15% or higher or;
(3) Being an underage driver and having a BAC of .02% or higher;
If you were given a “notice of suspension”, you should immediately request a DMV Implied Consent Hearing. If you don’t, or if the Hearing Officer rules against you, you must enroll in a South Carolina approved “Alcohol and Drug Safety Action Program (ADSAP). If you do not, your suspension will become permanent.
To give you an example of some DUI penalties: in South Carolina, a first offense DUI conviction will stay on your driving record for ten years. If you want to EVER have a driver’s license again, you will have to complete ADSAP (usually about $1,000.00) and have SR-22 high risk insurance for three years (3 to 7 times what you pay now for insurance). You will still lose your regular license for six months but, if you meet certain criteria, you can apply for a route-restricted license. Forty-eight hours jail time is mandatory. The fine for DUI varies throughout the jurisdictions of South Carolina but average about $1,000. Court costs also vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (about double the fine).
For a second or subsequent DUI conviction, it just gets worse. If the DUI charge arises out of an accident where someone was injured, the consequences become even more severe. If the driver holds a Commercial Driver’s License, yet another set of complications exist.
You don’t have to make the hard decisions alone. The DUI defense team at the Grammer Law Firm can give you the answers and advice you need.
Call us for a fair and honest assessment of your case.
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