Charged With DUI Out of State? What You Need to Know

Going on vacation is an exciting time. But a lot of things can go wrong while you are on vacation. You may end up being arrested for DUI out of state. If that happens, you are probably wondering what will happen to your home state driver’s license. If you have been arrested for an out-of-state DUI, your license will be suspended immediately. Therefore, you will not be allowed in that state until your driver’s license gets reinstated.

If you thought getting a DUI charge in your home state was stressful, imagine getting a DUI out of state. It is not only stressful but complicated as well. With any DUI charge, you have to appear in court for a criminal trial. You have to travel to the state where you were convicted when you are needed to appear in court. But that’s not all for an out-of-state DUI charge. 

Being charged with an out-of-state DUI can be stressful, especially when you don’t know how to go about it. When you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, your driving pattern will change.

Once an officer notices that, you’ll get pulled over. If the police smell alcohol they’ll arrest you and charge you with a DUI. When you are in your home state, you’ll know what to expect but what happens when you get charged with DUI out of state. The laws will be very different depending on the state.

What happens after you get arrested for out of state DUI?

When it comes to DUI charges, every state has its own set of procedures. You’ll be provided with a chemical test by the arresting officer. Refusal to take the test can lead to additional charges. Your driving privileges will be suspended temporarily in that state. 

Your license could get suspended if you have a high blood-alcohol level or if you fail to take the breathalyzer test. Your license will be suspended until the case is taken to court. The time it takes to appeal the case depends on one state to another. If you refuse to take the blood alcohol content test, you will get an administrative suspension.

If you, however, fail to show up during the hearing, your suspension will apply to your home state as well. When that happens, you have to take part in a DUI safety program and pay a reinstatement fee for your license to be reinstated.

If you get convicted for DUI in a state within the Interstate compact, then your traffic violation will be reported to the national database.

Criminal charges

You have the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty to an out-of-state DUI charge. When you get arrested for a DUI charge, you’ll be given a date where you have to appear in court. There are additional deadlines that you must meet before your case is concluded. You can get harsh realities, convictions if you don’t meet the deadlines. It’ll also be hard to fight your DUI charges if you don’t meet those deadlines. 

Possible outcomes

Being convicted of a DUI charge means you have fines and court costs to pay. The DUI charge will be reported to your home state. As long as the state where the conviction was made needs more time, your license will remain suspended by the home state. If you don’t pay fines or don’t attend the alcohol program, your suspension will still be in effect. The laws that govern how long you’ll be arrested for a DUI charge depend on the age, BAC, and whether it’s your first, second, or third offense. If you get convicted of a DUI charge out of state and your license is suspended, you will get the same punishment in your home state.

Can you move to another state with a DUI charge?

States that are members of the Interstate Driver License Compact (DLC) share records on traffic offenses. If you have a DUI charge, it’ll be challenging to move to another state. The Interstate Compact for Adult Supervision (ICAOS) dictates how states deal with the transfer of offenders between states.

If you want to move to another state while you are on probation, you have to contact your state’s probation board and that of the state you want to move to. However, if you are not on probation, then you can easily move from one state to another.

Being convicted of an out-of-state DUI is an unfortunate situation to find yourself in. However, you can take the charges as a learning experience. When you have been convicted of a DUI charge, you should always provide accurate information when applying for a driver’s license in another state. Failing to do so will lead to serious penalties.