DWI Charges and Your Commercial Driver’s License
Facing DWI charges can be stressful for anyone. For individuals who possess a Commercial Driver’s License, or CDL, and who support themselves and their families by performing work associated with that CDL, DWI charges can have even more serious consequences. Even more than with other DWI charges, these individuals face losing their livelihood due to DWI charges.
DWI and CDL Laws
A CDL is required to drive commercial motor vehicles. They are used mainly for large vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds, those that carry 16 or more passengers, or those that must display placards designating their cargo as hazardous material. Getting a DWI in a commercial motor vehicle or in a personal vehicle can have serious consequences for drivers with CDLs, including:
- Whether or not the DWI charges stem from an incident in a commercial or personal vehicle, the individual can lose his or her CDL for a year at the first violation
- The second violation means losing one’s CDL for life
- While some people with DWI charges can get an occupational driver’s license so that they can continue to work, this is not a possibility for those with CDLs
- The legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is lower for drivers who are operating commercial vehicles, so that having a BAC of 0.04 or more means the loss of one’s CDL for a year on the first offense, and for life on the second
DWI charges are serious for any individual, but much more so for those who make their living driving commercial vehicles.
Contact Us
If you are a commercial truck driver facing DWI charges, do not try to fight this battle without a strong legal defense team. Contact the San Antonio DWI defense lawyers at the Law Offices of Chris S. Barnett by calling 210-587-6464 today.
