South Carolina CDL DUI Laws And Penalties

We Will Advocate for You and Defend Your CDL in All Legal Venues

Any commercial driver naturally realizes that a conviction on drunk driving charges is likely to pose serious risks to a commercial driver’s license (CDL). In many cases, a DUI conviction and CDL suspension will put a stop to a professional driving career. Think about it: one wrong turn or one rolling stop could result in a traffic stop that effectively ends your professional driving career.

Even before a driver accused of DUI is convicted, however, damage may begin simply from being arrested. Stigma and shame among family and friends are not the only problems. In some cases, even being arrested on suspicion of drunk driving can cause you to lose your professional license. Driving under the influence charges are very serious. An experienced attorney well-versed in the law can help you protect your personal reputation and your ability to make a living behind the wheel.

Drennan Law Firm is prepared to plead a compelling case on your behalf before your professional licensing board. This career-specific advocacy is in addition to a lawyer’s representation on your behalf at a Division of Motor Vehicles hearing and before a criminal court.

What To Do After You Receive A CDL DUI

Stop for a moment and feel the gravity of the situation. If you’ve been arrested for DUI and use a CDL to make a living, it’s more than just your good name on the line, it’s your entire future. Without your CDL how will you make a living and take care of your family? Will you be able to pass a background check and get hired doing something else with a DUI on your record?

The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is keep quiet. Speaking to the police about your situation or venting at the DMV isn’t going to help you. On the other hand, calling an experienced defense attorney and speaking to them about your criminal defense and administrative options can make the difference between getting back on the road or losing everything you have worked so hard for.

You have too much on the line to try dealing with this yourself. You need a South Carolina lawyer with hands-on experience representing professional drivers in South Carolina DUI cases. At Drennan Law Firm, we provide our clients with the peace of mind that comes with knowing their future is in good hands. We have a proven track record of minimizing the damage from DUI arrests and keeping professional drivers on the road and paying bills.

From helping you get a provisional license to fighting the underlying evidence in your DUI arrest, you can rely on us to fight tenaciously for your interests every step of the way as your case makes its way through our criminal justice system and administrative DMV system.

Were you arrested for DUI while on your own time? Don’t assume you’re CDL is safe. Any DUI arrest can result in the loss of your CDL in addition to your personal driver’s license. Professional drivers are held to a high standard behind the wheel. At Drennan Law Firm, we can provide you with a high standard of criminal and administrative defense.

Benefits Of Hiring A CDL DUI Lawyer

The first benefit of hiring an experienced defense lawyer for your CDL DUI case is that you will have someone on your side fighting aggressively to protect your freedom, your finances, your reputation and your future. The prosecution will be working aggressively to convict you of DUI and the DMV will be licking their chops at the prospect of cutting up your CDL. You need someone working just as hard to stop those things from happening and protect your livelihood.

The second benefit of hiring a lawyer for your CDL DUI case is that you can focus on yourself and your family instead of trying to take a crash course on South Carolina criminal and traffic laws. Your lawyer knows what you don’t know and can focus on crafting a thorough defense that will withstand the rigors of the criminal and administrative systems.

South Carolina CDL DUI Laws And Penalties

Like any DUI in South Carolina, CDL DUI cases go down two tracks: criminal and administrative. The criminal track involves the potential for penalties such as fines and jail time. The administrative penalties can result in the loss of your CDL, effectively knee-capping your ability to make a living doing what you do best.

Each venue of justice has its consequences for your future, putting some of your most valuable assets at risk:

  • Your commercial driving career
  • Your driver’s license — your personal driver’s license as well as your commercial driver’s license (CDL)
  • Your clean record: no misdemeanors or felonies

Remember that if you are convicted of DUI while driving your personal vehicle, it can and will affect your CDL as well as your individual driver’s license.

You need a South Carolina lawyer well-versed in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations Manual, specifically parts 382, 383, 390-397 United States Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration (NTSHA). Let us help you seek to avoid a DUI conviction.

Drennan Law Firm takes on tough DUI cases, including cases involving CDL holders. Time and again, we obtain very favorable outcomes on behalf of commercial drivers.

Call for a Free Initial Consultation About Defending Your CDL

Drennan Law Firm reaches out to commercial truck drivers charged with DUI anywhere throughout the Charleston area. Contact our attorneys to schedule a consultation with no further obligation. We will do everything we can to help you try to avoid a DUI conviction.