How A DUI Affects Your Ability To Move Around

15 September 2015
 Categories: Law, Blog

Share

Apart from the official punishment that a DUI court may give you, there are other consequences of DUI arrests and convictions. For example, a DUI can affect your ability to move freely. The effect may be direct or indirect, but it will be there. Here are four ways in which this may happen:

Probation or Incarceration

If you are convicted of DUI, then some of the penalties you may face include getting placed on probation or sent to jail. Restriction of movement is one of the restrictions usually placed on people on probation. Obviously, incarceration will also affect your movement because you will be confined to your jail.

Traveling Within the Country

Traveling within the country is possible even if you have been charged and convicted of DUI. However, if you have been charged with DUI but haven't dealt with the accusations, then it is not wise to move to another state. The police may not come after you, but your charges will be forwarded to your current state's motor vehicle licensing bureau. Incurring a subsequent violation or moving back to your original state may attract harsher fines as compared to what you would have faced if you had dealt with the accusations when they were first raised.

Traveling Outside the Country

The United States government may not restrict your movement outside the country, but other countries may not be so kind to you. Whether or not you are accepted into another country depends on how its laws classify DUI charges. It may be difficult or impossible to get into another country, such as Canada, that treats DUI as a criminal offense.

Suspension of Driver's License

One of the punishments for DUI convictions is the suspension of your driving license. Some states may suspend your license on the first offense while others only do so for subsequent arrests. What is more, the suspension may be communicated to other states so that your license is effectively suspended in other states too.

As you know, it's an offense to drive with a suspended license. This means you will either have to get someone to drive you around or resort to other means of transportation such as public transport. This may limit your movement into areas that cannot be accessed by those alternative means of transport.

If you ever needed further motivation to take your DUI charges seriously, then the above reasons should be enough. Fortunately, the law that may restrict your movement may also give you a way out. It gives you the right to an attorney, who may help to reduce the severity of your charges and (hopefully) even escape these and other consequences of DUI. To find an attorney, visit a firm like Bommarito Law Firm.