Can a DUI on my record keep me from getting a job?

A DUI conviction is a criminal offense, and it can have repercussions in many areas, including employment after a DUI. In addition, the effects of a DUI stay on your record for the rest of your life unless you take the costly steps to remove it when you are eligible to do so.

The consequences of a DUI conviction vary by state and by job type. However, some of the common results of a DUI conviction include:

• A suspended driver’s license, which may make it difficult or impossible to travel to and from work, and may well cause you to lose a job that includes driving

• Required alcohol education classes, which may last a matter of a few weeks to a few months, requiring you to alter your work schedule

• A requirement to list a DUI conviction on job applications, often eliminating you from consideration in this difficult job market

• DUI convictions appear on background checks for as long as the DUI stays on your record, continuing to affect those checks for job applications, security clearances, and even housing applications

An experienced DUI attorney can help you with these effects of a DUI conviction, even if they are unable to have the charges dropped or reduced. In addition, they can help you have the DUI conviction expunged in many states, erasing it almost as if it had never occurred, once you are eligible.