A conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) in Washington carries penalties that can drastically change your life. Not only is there the financial strain of a steep fine and even the potential for spending time in jail, depending on the circumstances of the arrest, but there is also a lengthy license suspension that can severely change how you do things on a day-to-day basis. In fact, for many people who have been convicted for DUI, it is the license suspension that is the most difficult thing to deal with.

Luckily, there is a way to lighten the strain of being without a driver's license following a DUI conviction. In Washington, you may be eligible for a restricted or occupational license, which would allow you to drive in certain circumstances.

How Restricted Licenses Work

A restricted license is a driver's license that allows you to drive in a limited number of circumstances. Limitations can be imposed, including when you can drive, where you can drive, and which vehicles you can be driving. However, having a restricted license while your regular driver's license is under suspension can let you drive to and from work, which might be the difference between keeping your job or losing it after a DUI conviction.

Applying for a Restricted License in Washington

To apply for a Restricted Driver's License in the state of Washington, you will have to fill out this application and include the following additional materials within 30 days:

• An application fee of $100,
• An SR-22 Form from your insurance company, to prove that you have adequate car insurance to be on the state's roads, and
• If you are required to keep an Ignition Interlock Device in your vehicle, then you will also have to include proof that a proper one has been installed in the car that you are listing on your Restricted Driver's License application.

Maintaining a Restricted License

If your application gets approved and you receive your Restricted Driver's License, you will still have to abide by the rules, or risk losing the license. You can lose a Restricted Driver's License if your SR-22 insurance gets revoked or cancelled, or if your Ignition Interlock Device breaks or gets removed from the car your license allows you to drive.

Other ways that you can lose a Restricted Driver's License include violating the License's provisions, like the time and place limitations, or if the reason you needed the Restricted Driver's License is no longer valid, like if you applied for the License to commute to work, but then you lost your job. Additionally, a subsequent driving infraction that causes another license suspension will result in your Restricted Driver's License being taken away, as well.

Aaron Wolff, the Seattle DUI Attorney Who Can Help

Solid DUI-defense attorneys know that a DUI case does not end when the trial closes. Dealing with the repercussions of a conviction is an ongoing part of a DUI situation. Call the law office of Aaron Wolff at (425) 284-2000 or contact him online if you want to apply for, or defend, a Restricted Driver's License.