Orange County Out of State DUI Attorney
Arrested for DUI Out of State?
When a person who lives in another state is arrested for driving under
the influence (DUI) in California, he or she will need a California DUI
attorney. The lawyers at Gold & Witham have more than 40 years of
combined experience in criminal law and are qualified to handle out of
state DUI charges for clients throughout Orange County and all of Southern
California.
An out-of-state DUI will result in both criminal and DMV penalties in the
state where the offense occurred, as well as DMV penalties in the driver’s
home state. All but five states are participants in the Interstate Driver’s
License Compact (DLC) and will impose DMV penalties when a DUI conviction
occurs in another state. This is part of the theory: “One Driver,
One License, One Record.” The five states not involved in the DLC are:
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Tennessee
- Massachusetts
- Georgia
California and all 44 other states are members and will report citations,
drunk driving arrests, and other traffic violations to one another.
Penalties for Out of State Drunk Driving Charges
An out of state DUI conviction in California will result in the implementation
of criminal penalties, DMV penalties, and the driver’s home state
DMV penalties. In this state, a first DUI offense will result in:
Although the driver does not have a California driver’s license—and
the police officer who makes the arrest
cannot confiscate an out of state driver’s license—the California DMV can suspend the driver’s driving privileges
in this state. The driver’s home state will then impose their own
license suspension or revocation penalties based upon individual state law.
Out of State DUIs for Minors
If you are a minor arrested for drunk driving in another state, we may
be able to help you. According to the California Vehicle Code § 23521,
DUIs in states other than the driver's home state still apply. For
example, if you were arrested for DUI in Nevada, although Nevada's
laws differ slightly than California's, your penalties would still
apply in California. If you are a minor and you receive jail time for
your DUI, you would coordinate with a juvenile court judge and a juvenile
hearing officer.
Seek Out Skilled Representation for Your Charges
At Gold & Witham, we know the ins and outs of California DUI laws and
understand how to effectively represent clients throughout the
DUI court process and at
DMV hearings. Out of state charges can be difficult, particularly when the defendant
needs to go back to his or her home state. Our attorneys will do our best
to represent you without your having to be present.
Do not hesitate to
contact Gold & Witham to learn more about how our firm can help you!