Reinstating Your Drivers license After a DUI
If you’re convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) in Tennessee, it can result in numerous penalties including jail time and fines. One of the biggest daily life changes to occur as a result of a DUI conviction is the revocation of your drivers license. Your license may be revoked from one year to more than ten years, depending upon the individual circumstances of your case.
While your drivers license is revoked, you must complete the DUI sentence ordered by the court. You may need to finish jail time, do community service, pay fines, attend alcohol education classes, and even have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle. Successful completion of the sentence ordered by the court is required to have your drivers license reinstated.
You may think that once your period of revocation expires, you are allowed to get in your car and drive off into the sunset. However, you would be wrong. You must take specific steps to have your drivers license reinstated.
It’s often best to have a lawyer who handles DUI assist you to make sure the process is completed correctly. Failing to properly reinstate your drivers license can result in your arrest since you are driving while you are unlicensed. If you are convicted for driving on a revoked, suspended or canceled drivers license, you can receive a mandatory jail sentence if the original reason for your revocation was a DUI conviction.
As a condition of your drivers license reinstatement, you may be required to show proof of financial responsibility in the form of an SR-22 insurance filing. Your insurance provider can adjust your policy to make sure that you meet the minimum required liability coverage specified by the state and file the appropriate forms. If you don’t maintain this required coverage for the specified amount of time, your insurance company informs the state, and your drivers license is suspended again.
If your drivers license has been revoked for a DUI, take care to properly follow the steps for reinstatement to drive off into the sunset once again — legally.