You will lose your license for a year if you plea guilty to or are convicted of driving while impaired in North Carolina.
That doesn’t mean you can’t drive. You can still get a limited driving privilege allowing you to go work and school. You must carry the limited driving privilege paperwork with you at all times.
What Do I Do After A Year Has Passed?
One year after your guilty plea or DWI conviction, you will contact the North Carolina DMV to restore your full license privilege. This will require you have paid all relevant fees to the court and to the DMV.
Do I Have To Retake The Driving Test?
No, thankfully.
What If I Have Interlock?
If you had to get Interlock as part of your sentence, you will have to provide additional forms to the court, such as proof of installation. You also have to pay a monthly fee to maintain Interlock. Do note that you will not get your driving privilege immediately after plea — you must wait 45 days.
Can I Just Not Drive For That Year?
You can choose to do so, but when you resume driving you will still have to get Interlock. Some people choose to delay having it installed for financial reasons. If you do get rid of your car for a while, you will at least save money on a car payment, insurance, and gas, so it may be wise to look into public transportation if feasible.
I Still Need An ID Card, Right?
Yes. If you choose not to drive you can get a state-issued identification card.
What If I Get Pulled Over And I Don’t Have A License?
You will be charged with driving while license revoked – impaired, which means you were driving while you didn’t have a license for a charge involving impairment. If you plea guilty to this, you automatically lose your license for another year. You could also face jail time, although many judges are willing to agree to supervised probation instead, which is still very costly.
Do I Need A Lawyer?
For anything DWI-related, you absolutely do. The Law Office of Paige Feldmann, PLLC has handled many DWIs in multiple North Carolina counties. Contact me at hello@paigefeldmannlaw.com for more information.