A suspected DWI traffic stop may have you wondering if you will lose your license.
Here is what you need to know about DWI license suspensions in Arkansas to reduce the uncertainty of your situation.
DWI suspensions
If this is your first DWI offense, you can lose your license for up to six months. A second offense within five years of the first can earn up to a 24-month suspension. A third DWI, also within five years of the first offense, has a penalty of 30 months without a license. The state may revoke your license for four years after the fourth and future offenses. To get your license back after a DWI suspension, you must:
- Finish a victim impact panel program
- Complete a state-approved drug and alcohol education or treatment class
- Have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle
- Pay a $150 reinstatement fee
- Retake and pass the driver’s exam after a revocation
Refusal to test suspensions
Regardless of whether or not you were driving under the influence, you can automatically lose your license for 180 days if you refuse to submit to blood alcohol testing at a suspected DWI traffic stop. Subsequent refusals to test within five years of the first incident can result in longer suspensions. A second refusal earns a 24-month suspension. A third refusal gets a three-year revocation, and a fourth offense results in a lifetime revocation. Except for a lifetime revocation, you can get your license back after the suspension or revocation period by attending a victim impact panel and paying a $150 reinstatement fee. After a three-year revocation, you must also retake the driver’s license exam.
A driver’s license plays a substantial role in your freedom, so you should take the necessary action to defend your driving privileges following a DWI stop.