Impact of a Mecklenburg County DUI on a Commercial Driver’s License

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires multiple specific requirements to be met before obtaining a commercial driver’s license. The person must go to the DMV and carefully go through the process in order to obtain it.

Tractor-trailer drivers need commercial driver’s licenses, as do those who operate charter buses or other large vehicles for a living. Many large vehicles require a more specific set of knowledge than the average vehicle in order to operate them safely.

Commercial driver’s licenses are treated differently because they are seen as a license for someone who drives for a living. There are many restrictions that can prevent someone from continuing to have a commercial driver’s license. Getting a DUI conviction can result in the termination of a commercial driver’s license and can prevent the individual from being able to obtain a commercial driver’s license in the future as well.

Commercial driver’s license holders are essentially expected to uphold a nearly perfect driving record at all times to indicate to both their employer and their licensing agency that they are of absolute minimal risk to other drivers on the road.

Read on to learn more about the impact of a Mecklenburg County DUI on a commercial driver’s license. If you have been charged with driving under the influence, consult with a seasoned DUI lawyer today.

How a DUI Charge Could Impact a Driver’s Employment if They Are Not Convicted

The impact of a Mecklenburg County DUI on a commercial driver’s license includes the possible loss of employment. If a person’s employment relies on a commercial driver’s license, the employer could see that anyone charged with a DUI is too high of a risk to them to continue to employ them as a driver. Even if the individual’s DUI charge is later dismissed, the fact that there was enough evidence for a police officer to arrest them on suspicion of DUI can be enough for an employer to terminate a person who drives for a living.

Employers are within their rights to look at a charge when making employment decisions even if the person is not convicted, especially for when they are employing people who will require a commercial driver’s license as part of that employment.

Courts Treatment of DUI Cases Involving a Commercial Driver’s License

Courts might give special consideration to a commercial driver’s license holder knowing what the consequences of a conviction will mean for someone who has a commercial driver’s license. The courts might give some extra benefit of the doubt to such a case. Conversely, knowing that the person has a commercial driver’s license might mean that the court holds them to a slightly higher standard due to the importance of maintaining a clean record when driving for a living.

When someone is employed as a driver, the court will take notice of that, and that could affect a case both positively or negatively when the court is weighing the evidence of the DUI against the person’s experience. However, the court may take into consideration that a conviction has the potential to affect the person’s long-term employment, and may require a higher standard of evidence.

DUI Consequences for Commercial Drivers

In addition to the standard consequences for anyone convicted of a DUI, which includes loss of license and potential suspended jail sentences and fines, another consequence for a commercial driver’s license holder is the loss of their commercial driver’s license and perhaps the inability to have a commercial driver’s license restored.

Everyone who is charged with a DUI loses their license for seven days. That could affect anyone who drives for a living as it will bar them from being able to drive and prevent them from being able to do their job for an entire week.

A person convicted of a first-time DUI on a commercial driver’s license will have the ability to get a restricted license for their personal use. Still, they will not be able to get a restricted license to be able to continue to drive professionally.

Having a DUI conviction for a commercial driver’s license holder could mean the loss of the ability to maintain employment as a professional driver. It could mean the ability to maintain a commercial driver’s license or to be able to obtain one in the future.

How an Attorney Could Help

An attorney could build a strong defense and advocate for a defendant who is facing a DUI charge. Call today if you have any questions about the impact of a Mecklenburg County DUI on a commercial driver’s license and how a lawyer could help you.