Driving under the influence in Pennsylvania could result in the temporary suspension of your license. License suspensions for DUI range from 12 to 18 months.
The question of whether license suspension can take place depends on two factors: your blood alcohol concentration at the time of arrest and your prior DUI history.
Blood alcohol concentration
Pennsylvania law now recognizes three levels of DUI according to blood alcohol concentration. The lowest level, general impairment, involves a BAC of 0.08% to 0.099%. The highest BAC level is over 0.16%. If your blood alcohol is between 0.10% and 0.159% upon arrest, you are at the high BAC level per state law.
If arrested for DUI and your blood alcohol is at the general impairment level, a driver’s license suspension can last no more than 12 months. At the other levels, the suspension can last from 12 to 18 months, depending on your history of prior DUI offenses.
Prior DUI history
The fewer DUI offenses already on your driving record, the shorter your license suspension will be. In fact, if your BAC was at the general impairment level and you have no record of prior DUI offenses, no license suspension can take place at all.
Even at the highest BAC level, a driver’s license suspension can last only for 12 months if you do not have prior DUIs. However, if you do have prior DUIs, it can last for 18 months at the highest BAC level.
If arrested at the high BAC level, you can face a 12-month suspension if you have up to one prior DUI offense. However, if you have two or more, you can face suspension for up to 18 months.
It is illegal for you to drive at all as long as your license remains suspended. You run the risk of further penalties if you drive with a suspended license.
