Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, DUI Penalties Lawyer
Harsh DUI Penalties for CDL Holders
People who drive for a living — truck drivers, bus drivers, commercial van drivers and other commercial drivers — have a lot at stake when pulled over for drunk driving in PA. Individuals holding a commercial driver's license (CDL) are held to much higher standards in Pennsylvania.
Talk to a DUI Defense Lawyer Immediately to Protect Your Rights
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If you have been arrested for drunk driving, your commercial driver's license and career are at risk. Contact a relentless criminal defense attorney who has the experience and determination to fight for your rights. Call the Law Office of Henry S. Hilles, III, at 610-270-8800, to put the experience of a former prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer on your side.
Strict DUI Laws for Commercial Drivers
Driving under the influence (DUI) can result in steep fines, jail time and license suspension, regardless of whether or not you are a commercial driver operating under a CDL. However, CDL drivers face strict rules regarding the legal limit, off-duty driving and penalties for DUI.
- Legal limit: Commercial vehicle operators holding a CDL are bound by a reduced blood-alcohol limit of .04 percent (.02 percent for school bus drivers). Essentially, any amount of alcohol in a commercial driver's system can result in charges for drunk driving.
- Off-duty driving: Commercial drivers who are arrested or convicted for drunk driving — even when they are off-duty — face consequences to their CDL status and career. Not only do many trucking companies require truck drivers to maintain an impeccable driving record, any suspensions of a driver's personal driver's license will carry over to his or her commercial driver's license. Additionally, if a commercial driver is found to have any measurable alcohol in his or her system, the driver can be forced to go off-duty for at least 24 hours.
- First-offense DUI consequences: Truck drivers convicted for first-offense drunk driving face DUI penalties of up to six months in jail and a one-year driver's license suspension (for individuals with a BAC of up to .16 percent; a higher BAC will result in aggravated DUI penalties). Additionally, if the driver was transporting hazardous materials at the time of the DUI arrest, the operator faces a three-year license suspension.
- Repeat-offense DUI penalties: DUI penalties rise exponentially for CDL drivers who are convicted for a second offense or subsequent offense DUI in Pennsylvania. DUI penalties can include aggravated jail time, augmented fines and permanent suspension of a commercial driver's license (CDL).
Experienced DUI Defense Lawyer in Montgomery County
As a former Montgomery County prosecutor and criminal defense attorney, I know the stakes and I understand the level of detailed DUI defense representation that is necessary to protect the rights of commercial drivers who have been arrested for drunk driving in PA. Contact my office in Norristown, PA, for aggressive, experienced and tireless DUI defense representation.