Driving under the influence of alcohol is a very serious crime, with very serious consequences. Obviously, drunk drivers have a better chance of getting into accidents and causing death or serious injury to others, and the states have made the drunk driving laws as severe as assault or murder in many cases. If you are arrested for driving under the influence and do not have a valid driver’s license, the fines and penalties imposed for the DUI arrest can become even more severe, and can have lasting repercussions and even prison time. What are the risks of driving under the influence without a valid driver’s license?
DUI Arrest and No Drivers License
In general, driving without a license carries serious penalties. You can receive:
- Prison time,
- Heavy fines, and
- Be barred from applying for or receiving a driver’s license for a period of years if you are caught.
When coupled with the offense of driving under the influence, driving without a license is seen as an aggravating factor – meaning a factor that makes the offense of driving under the influence even more serious. There are many different legal names for this, but a common charge you might receive as a result of DUI without a license might be “aggravated reckless driving,” and it is almost equivalent to attempted murder in many jurisdictions.
You may also find that as a result of driving under the influence conviction along with the aggravating circumstance of driving without a license, your DUI charge (which was initially a misdemeanor-a less serious type of criminal offense) may be upgraded to a felony charge (the most serious type of criminal offense). Because of this, you may have a harder time convincing a jury that you were innocent of the DUI charges, because they may believe that if someone would drive without a license, they might disregard other driving laws as well, and be more likely to drive while intoxicated.
In general, you will find that if you have received a DUI charge without a license, you will be facing heavy court costs, fines, and virtually guaranteed prison time. In addition, you will be barred from applying for or receiving a driver’s license for an extended period of time, in some cases as long as five years or more. In addition, you will have a harder time finding a lawyer who will be able to successfully defend you, because your case will be much more serious and juries and judges will be less likely to consider it a less serious offense because of the aggravating circumstances involved.
Getting Help
With two potential crimes - a DUI and driving without a license- it is essential that you get the help of a qualified lawyer if you find yourself facing a DUI arrest with no driver's license. Your lawyer can help you to plead down the charges or otherwise take steps to reduce your sentence and penalties.
