How long is your license suspended for a DWI?

In this video, criminal defense attorney Paul J. Cambria explains DWI penalties in New York, including the arraignment process – which determines how long your license will be suspended.

Q: Will I lose my license if I’m charged with a DWI?

A: When you are charged with a Driving While Intoxicated offense, your license is suspended. The question is whether or not at arraignment you will be able to obtain what they call a hardship license, which would allow you to get the license back for essentials, such as driving to work, school, health appointments, and so on. If you refused the breath test, let’s say, or the blood test after being arrested, then you would not be able to obtain a hardship license. You may still be able to obtain driving privileges, because you would go to an administrative hearing dealing with the actual refusal as a separate procedure, and at the hearing there is a possibility once again of having the license restored. But on the other hand, if you did participate in the tests, then you could ask the judge for a hardship license at the time of arraignment, which is when they suspend your license. Then you would be able to drive to school, to work, to medical appointments, and so on—essentials.