Dealing With a DUI Charge

Many things can go through your mind the moment you get pulled over and charged with a DUI. The important thing is not to panic or overreact as this can make your situation much worse. There are a few steps to consider, including legal assistance.


You may have been pulled over for reckless driving or got arrested at a DUI checkpoint where officers are specifically looking for signs of drug or alcohol use. Regardless of where the arrest took place, it can be an overwhelming experience. With the help of our guide below, you can better prepare yourself in the case of it ever happening to you.



While getting charged with a DUI is a serious offense, it is important to remain calm and consult legal assistance before making any decisions. You may have heard or read rumors about other unique DUI cases & their results. This may be very misleading. Every DUI case is unique & will have different results. All that said, be very pro-active with your case.

Consulting a Lawyer

Once you are able to speak to an attorney, it is important to clearly explain to him/her the entire situation that led to your DUI. The attorney will break down your unique case & layout a plan. If you need legal assistance you can also find additional legal aid here and you can search for a lawyer here.

Showing Up to Court

After you have been taken into police custody, booked, and gone to the arraignment, you will need to attend a hearing or trial. You will receive a court date from a court official. You will also be assigned a court-appointment lawyer. You can also choose to refuse the public defender and hire your own lawyer (which we will talk about below). After you are given your court date, you can contact an attorney and look up your local state laws to see what your options are. Generally speaking, your attorney should be able to do this for you. Generally, DUI hearings are pretty straightforward unless there are extenuating circumstances like a personal injury. For this reason, you do not need to worry too much about the hearing.

Know the Laws In Your Area

Laws about driving under the influence vary from state to state. The same is true for the punishment of a DUI arrest. You should research your local state laws to see what your options. This can help you to prepare for your case. Typically, your attorney will be well versed in these laws and will be able to prepare your case and determine your options for you. However, it is always good to do some research for yourself and learn all the DUI information you can about the situation you are in. Nevertheless, if you post bail and have sufficient time to research what your state laws are for DUI cases, it will help you get in the right mindset for your court date.

Your License May Get Suspended

The arresting officer may take your license and give you a temporary license which expires on the same date of your DMV hearing. Your license suspension will occur automatically if you fail to request a hearing. At the hearing, if you plead your case successfully, you may have your license given back. However, if you do not plead your case, you will get your license suspended for a set length of time. The length of the suspension will depend on a few factors like your BAC at the time of the incident and any prior DUIs on your record.

Consider DUI Driving School

In order to get your driver’s license back, you will usually need to complete an education program called DUI driving school. However, completing one of these programs successfully does not automatically mean that you can drive again. This is based on a case by case scenario. But if you are required to complete one of these courses and fail to do so, you will not get your license back anytime soon. These classes are designed to teach offending drivers all about the dangers of driving while under the influence. The class may also offer some kind of counseling for those who are suffering from an addiction. The specifics of the class will depend on the state where you live. All in all, the goal of these classes is to prevent people from driving under the influence again.