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Drivers License Restoration

Driver's License Restoration in Florida

Protecting Your Driving Privileges After an Arrest

When individuals are arrested for DUI, their license is automatically suspended. However, most people do not realize that they may still have the opportunity to drive with a hardship license. Also known as a restricted license, this is a temporary license that allows you to drive to and from work while your license is suspended. You must file for a hardship license within 10 days of the arrest. To obtain the license, you must take an examination and pay a fee.

This is an essential step toward restoring your driving privileges, and it ensures that your DUI does not further affect your job and financial stability. Your ability to file for a restricted license depends on your offense, as well as how many points you have on your record. Our Tampa DUI defense attorneys may get you informed about your legal situation and help you protect your future driving privileges in a DHSMV hearing.

When you work with Parks & Braxton, PA, you gain access to the following:

  • 50+ years of collective legal experience
  • Offices available for calls 24/7, weekends and holidays
  • Attorneys AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
  • A firm featured on ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and more

DHSMV License Suspension Hearings

A vital step in getting your driver's license restored is requesting a formal or informal hearing with the Florida DMV. These hearings are separate from any criminal charge you may be facing—they only deal with the suspension of your driver's license. During these hearings, you may have the opportunity to prevent your driver's license from being suspended.

In an informal hearing, an officer reviews the materials surrounding your DUI arrest, and usually does not require witness testimony or the arresting officer's presence. The final decision of an informal hearing is submitted within 21 days of the individual's hardship license expiring. In contrast, a formal hearing includes witness testimonies and presentation of additional evidence.

Our DUI lawyers in Tampa are here to help with DHSMV hearings. Contact us today!

The DUI charge affects your license restoration!

Receiving too many points on your driving record from DUI and other traffic citations may result in the Florida DHSMV suspending your license, even if your DUI charge was in another state. If you are arrested for DUI or refuse to take a breath or blood test, this may be grounds for automatic suspension. The length of a license suspension depends on the individual situation. Generally, if DUI charges do not occur within five years of each other, the driver's license is suspended for 180 days to one year.

However, a second DUI charge within five years of the first charge can result in a five-year suspension. A third DUI charge within ten years of a previous DUI can result in a ten-year suspension. Four or more DUI charges can result in ten or more years of license suspension. If the DUI accident resulted in injuries or death to another person, then the suspension may be more severe, or even permanent. Immediately following a DUI arrest, schedule a hearing with the DHSMV and contact our Tampa DUI lawyers. The sooner you take action and retain experienced legal guidance, the better chance you may have of restoring your driving privileges.

Schedule a free case evaluation with Parks & Braxton, PA today!

Obtain Immediate Legal Help

To save your license, you must act within 10 days. Contact a partner about your case by calling 813.708.5388, or fill out the form here.

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