How Long Will My License Suspension Last?

People can have their licenses suspended and revoked for numerous reasons, though the Michigan Secretary of State’s website lists the most frequent reason as operating while intoxicated (OWI) or driving under the influence (DUI). You may reinstate your license through the Secretary of State’s Driver Assessment and Appeals Division (DAAD). In the aftermath of having your license suspended or revoked, you may be wondering how long it will be until you can go to the DAAD and reinstate your license.

This blog post will explain how long license suspensions and revocations last, to help you understand the path ahead of you as you get everything back to normal after a suspension or a revocation. Don’t forget to get in touch with a Marquette DUI lawyer, who can help you address all of your OWI/DUI concerns with a game plan.

What Is License Suspension and Revocation?

License suspension and revocation but similar but separate penalties. Suspension refers to a temporary pause on a person’s driving privileges, while revocation signifies that someone’s driving privileges have been terminated entirely. Although revocations are reserved for more serious offenses, it is possible to reinstate your license after either a revocation or a suspension, so long as you meet certain eligibility requirements as well as any other conditions set by a hearing held through the Michigan Department of State.

How Long Are Suspension or Revocation Periods?

You are very likely to meet those eligibility requirements to reinstate your license. This being said, one of the other conditions to reinstate your license is meeting the minimum waiting period. The waiting period will usually be longer or shorter, again depending on the severity of the current DUI in question as well as your driving history.

General guidelines for different kinds of waiting periods are as follows:

• Refusal to take a chemical test. If the police request a chemical test and you refuse, you’ll be subject to a one-year suspension. This is also called the Implied Consent suspension. You may apply for a restricted license if complying with the suspension brings you hardship.
• Multiple refusals to take a chemical test. Two Implied Consent suspensions in a seven-year period will earn you a two-year suspension. You cannot apply for a restricted license for a second or later implied consent suspension.
  Not requesting a hearing in time. Significantly, if someone doesn’t request a hearing, their license is automatically revoked in Michigan for one year. You are allowed only 14 days to submit your request.
• 1st OWI/DUI. Your license is restricted for 90 days after your first OWI conviction. In some cases, Michigan law calls for a minimum six-month suspension, though in other cases, you may qualify for a restricted license after 30 days.
  1st “Super Drunk” OWI/DUI. In Michigan, a “Super Drunk” conviction is an OWI/DUI where your blood alcohol content was found at 0.17 or more. You’ll have a minimum one-year suspension with the possibility of a restricted license within 45 days, on the condition of using an ignition interlock device for your car.
• 2 OWI/DUI convictions. If you are convicted of two OWI/DUIs in a seven-year period, you receive a lifetime license revocation, with the possibility of reinstatement after one year.
• 3 OWI/DUI convictions. For three OWI/DUI convictions within 10 years, your license will be revoked for life, and you won’t be able to apply for reinstatement until five years pass.