If you were recently arrested for driving under the influence in Fresno, Madera, Kings or Tulare County, you may be unsure about when exactly your license suspension starts. A lot of people are confused by the timing of the license suspension and how their criminal DUI case impacts their driving privileges.

Was your driver's license suspended automatically upon arrest?

Or, will it be suspended 30 days following your arrest?

 If you were arrested for an alcohol-related DUI for suspicion of a .08% BAC or higher, you were most likely given a pink temporary license. If that's the case, you were given a notice stating that 30 days after the date of your arrest, if this is a first time DUI, your license will be suspended administratively for 4 months.

 The DMV license suspension is separate from the court case. If you do not request the DMV hearing within 10 days of your arrest, the suspension will begin 30 days following the arrest, whether or not the DA files criminal charges. The DMV suspension is independent of any license suspension related to a criminal court conviction for DUI.

 If your DUI arrest was more than 30 days ago and it was an alcohol-related DUI with a BAC of .08% or higher and you failed to request a DMV hearing, your license has probably already been suspended.

 If your license has been suspended, there are steps that need to be taken to get a restricted license after the first 30 days of the 4 month suspension, plus you still have to address your criminal DUI charges. You need to contact a DUI defense attorney immediately.