South Carolina uses a points system to compel drivers to be more safe on the road. The more traffic violations of a certain nature you commit, the more points you get on your record. What about DUI and the point system in South Carolina? Does a DUI get you points as well? These questions and more are addressed here.
Are you dealing with a DUI and the associated fallout? If so, you’ve got an effective defender in Whalen Montalvo. We are ready to fight for you. Call (864) 770-7710 to learn more.
The point system in South Carolina ultimately exists to protect the public by penalizing drivers for too many moving violations. When you commit certain traffic violations, points begin to accrue on your driving record. With 12 or more points, your license will be suspended.
Points do not stay on your record forever. After one year, they are reduced by half and then finally eliminated a year later. For example, if you have 10 points on your record and gain no more within a year’s time, you will then have only five points.
But do you get points for a DUI? The answer is no — points are not given as a result of being convicted of a DUI in South Carolina.
Understanding license suspension for DUI in South Carolina can help you manage your expectations. A DUI conviction results in an automatic driver’s license suspension. Because of this, it does not need to be included in South Carolina’s point system. Failure to sit for a blood alcohol test is also cause for an automatic license suspension.
Once your license becomes suspended for DUI, you must comply with numerous conditions as well as face criminal penalties before getting it back. You may, however, be eligible to procure an abridged license.
The DUI defense lawyers at Whalen Montalvo know how to obtain the favorable case outcomes their clients need.
On top of a license suspension, you will also face other penalties, including:
The length of jail or prison time and the amount of fines you pay depend on the nature of the circumstances. Repeat offenders and offenders with high BACs face harsher punishments. Causing injury or death will lead to the harshest of penalties, including up to 25 years in jail and tens of thousands in fines.
Collateral consequences for a DUI conviction abound. Insurance costs rise significantly. With too many DUIs, insurance may be difficult to procure at all.
If you have had your license suspended in South Carolina, you can wait until the suspension is over to regain your license, or you can seek one of the various limited driver’s licenses if eligible. These licenses include:
The provisional license allows you to drive as you normally would when you have circumstances requiring you to drive, such as:
Obtaining a provisional license in South Carolina requires meeting numerous crucial requirements that a DUI defense lawyer can help with, including not having any other suspensions on your record and having an SR-22 certificate for at least three years.
A temporary alcohol license is usually granted to those who refuse to sit for a urine or blood test and therefore have their licenses automatically suspended. It allows a person to drive after arrest and before an administrative hearing to contest the suspension.
The route-restricted license in South Carolina also allows you to get back on the road after a second or third DUI; however, you are restricted in the places you may drive to.
Keep in mind that you are only entitled to one restricted route license throughout your lifetime. You should also be aware that the licenses described here cost hundreds of dollars to obtain, and you should expect ignition interlock devices to be used.
The state threatens drivers with license suspension for having too many points in South Carolina. Although a DUI won’t put points on your record, it will certainly result in the loss of your license temporarily if a conviction results. However, a competent DUI defense law firm can protect its client from some or all of the repercussions of DUI.
If you are fighting a DUI, let our defense lawyers fight for you. Contact Whalen Montalvo at (864) 770-7710 for a consultation today. Get the protection you deserve.
I grew up right here in Greenville, South Carolina. Following highschool, I attended Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, where I was an NCAA Scholar-Athlete for the Rhodes Lynx soccer program.
I completed my law degree at University of South Carolina School of Law, where I was on the mock trial team and an editor for the Journal of Law and Education. Following graduation, I served as a judicial law clerk for Senior Judge Robert H. Hodges, Jr. on the Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. My experience in D.C. trial courts solidified my desire to become a trial lawyer.
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