Tag Archives: Pennsylvania

IID stands for ignition interlock device and is defined as a handheld breath-alcohol monitoring device that is electronically connected to your vehicle’s ignition. Before starting your vehicle, the IID requires you to take and pass a breath test. If the device detects alcohol, the vehicle will not start. It also requires you to take re-tests while you are operating the vehicle. In Pennsylvania, IID’s are currently required for those who plead guilty or are convicted of a second or subsequent ... Read More »

An occupational limited license (OLL) authorizes driving a designated motor vehicle, under certain conditions, only when it is necessary for the driver’s occupation, work, trade, medical treatment or study. If this is your first DUI conviction, and your license has been suspended for 1-year, you are eligible for an OLL after 60 days. Eligibility is at PennDOT’s discretion. If your conviction results in an 18-month DUI-related suspension and you have satisfied all restoration requirements and installed an ignition interlock device ... Read More »

If you’ve been charged with driving under the influence, it is likely that you have also been charged with one or more summary offense.  A summary offense is a minor crime, for example careless driving or reckless driving, and often times, is the reason the officer pulled you over. In Pennsylvania, after being charged with a DUI, or any crime for that matter, the first court appearance is normally at the District Court closest to where the incident occurred. Every ... Read More »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s ARIDE course is described as a bridge between the Standardized Field Sobriety Test (SFST) and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) courses.  ARIDE, which stands for Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, is a 16-hour course that claims to teach officers how to look for signs of drug impairment during traffic stops.  On October 16-17, the Northeastern Pennsylvania DUI Task Force will provide local law enforcement with ARIDE training.  This is in response to what the Luzerne ... Read More »

As a Pennsylvania licensee, you have already agreed to take a chemical test if ever arrested for driving under the influence.  Because you have already agreed to take a chemical test, whether it is blood, breath or urine, you are subject to enhanced penalties if you refuse.  In looking at it in its most basic terms, a refusal results in your case splitting into two parts: civil and criminal. On the civil side, PennDOT will suspend your license for 12 ... Read More »

Clients often call in panic mode after doing research online and reading the penalties they face for a first offense driving under the influence (DUI) conviction in Pennsylvania.  Those penalties vary depending on what your blood alcohol content (BAC) is and are as follows: Tier 1 (BAC 0.080 to 0.99) 6 months probation $300 fine Safe Driving Classes Court Reporting Network (CRN) Evaluation Drug and Alcohol Treatment Evaluation (if warranted) Tier 2 (BAC 0.100 to 0.159, Minors and Commercial & ... Read More »

Created by a student at MIT, glowing ice cubes are now able to calculate how much you are drinking and respond by changing color: green after sip one, yellow after sip two, eventually changing to red signaling you should slow your alcohol intake.  The circuit in the ice cube keeps track of time and the number of sips you take.  This allows the ice cube to, according to reports, reliably guess your level of intoxication.  Should you drink too much, ... Read More »

Many times, clients wonder what will happen to their out of state license when their Pennsylvania driving privileges have been suspended once they are accepted into the accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD) program. The bottom line is that you will be able to continue driving in every other state, including your home state, except for Pennsylvania.  The question is, how do you know once you leave the courthouse after being accepted into ARD whether your suspension has begun seeing as though ... Read More »