A commercial driver’s license gets suspended for one year if a person is convicted even of operating while impaired. Any conviction for OWI or operating while visibly impaired will result in a one-year suspension of the commercial driver’s license. So for anybody who is a truck driver or needs that commercial driver’s license, it is a much more serious matter than for the average person. With the commercial driver’s license, you’re pretty much going to lose your job if you’re convicted, and there’s nothing a judge can do about it. It’s not up to the prosecutor; it’s not up to the judge. If you’re convicted of OWI or operating while impaired, you will lose your CDL.
Is that just if you’re driving the commercial vehicle or is this also if you’re driving your own personal vehicle?
Yes. Even if you’re driving your own personal vehicle, you’ll lose your CDL.
Is there a certain BAC threshold? Is it different from a normal DUI or is it lower?
No. The OWI has nothing to do with the fact that you have a commercial driver’s license. It goes just like any other. It’s the same law for someone with a CDL as it is for someone without a CDL. It doesn’t matter whether you’re driving your truck or not. All that matters is, if the Secretary of State learns of the fact that you have been convicted of an OWI or an OWVI, which is driving while impaired, then they will administratively suspend your commercial driver’s license for one year. It has nothing to do with how you were driving or what vehicle you were driving or what your BAC was; if you’re convicted of that, they won’t let you have the CDL for one year.
Are those also cases that your firm takes?
Yes, absolutely. Like I said, it’s not so much the situation of the CDL makes the case any different; it just makes the punishment different for the client. It’s all the more reason why they need to have a good DUI attorney representing them, because they’ve got more on the line than most people.
For more information on DUI and commercial driver’s licenses in Michigan, a free initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you’re seeking by calling (248) 451-2200 today.
