Out of State DUI

When an out of state driver is arrested for DUI, DWI or OUI, he or she will face criminal penalties in the state where the offense occurred. Additionally, the driver may face repercussions in his or her home state, typically in accordance with his or her driving privileges.

For example, an Oregon resident, Bob, is arrested in California for driving under the influence. While California law enforcement cannot confiscate Bob's Oregon driver's license, his California driving privileges will be revoked as per California law, and Bob will face criminal charges and penalties in California. If Bob is subsequently convicted of DUI, he may face two serious matters. He may face imprisonment, fines and the other penalties associated with a California DUI conviction, and he may lose his Oregon driver's license.

Why would Bob lose his Oregon driver's license? The majority of states in the U.S. belong to the Interstate Drivers License Compact (IDLC), which means they report criminal traffic offenses and convictions to one another. In reporting traffic offenses, they enable a driver's home state to take action and suspend his or her license based upon a violation that has occurred in another state. The concept behind the Interstate Drivers License Compact is that every driver in the U.S. should have a single driving record and a single driver's license. No matter where in the U.S. a traffic violation such as DWI or DUI has occurred, it should therefore affect the driver's license. Wisconsin, Tennessee, Georgia, Michigan and Massachusetts are the only states that are not a part of the IDLC.

Drunk Driving Arrests and Out-of-State Drivers

Out of state DUI cases are particularly complex and difficult to deal with because the driver will be dealing with criminal charges in another state. Depending on the case, he or she may be required to return to the state in which the alleged offense occurred for criminal court proceedings. Finding a local DUI lawyer is an important part of effectively challenging DUI charges and possibly ensuring that a driver does not have to return to the other state. With experience in handling drunk driving cases in that particular region, a competent attorney can limit the driver's involvement while still seeking a positive case result.

Find a DUI lawyerto assist you with a case involving out of state DUI charges.