Will an Out-Of-State DUI Affect My Florida License?

By Jonathan Blecher on October 1, 2015

As a Miami DUI attorney who focuses exclusively on DUI defense, I occasionally get asked about out-of-state DUIs. Considering how much people travel back and forth between Florida and Georgia, and other nearby states, such as Alabama and South Carolina, this is not an unusual topic.

Let’s say that a Florida resident travels to Georgia and is arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) while he’s passing through. To complicate matters, he has a previous Florida DUI from five years earlier.

Will it be treated as his first DUI in Georgia? What will happen to his Florida driving privileges? Should the driver contact the Florida DMV and find out if there’s something that he can do to minimize the penalties that he faces?

My Advice to Someone in This Situation

In this scenario, the Florida DUI will be discovered by Georgia, especially because the driver was arrested while using his Florida driver’s license. While I am not licensed in Georgia, most states in general have a “look back” period for prior DUI convictions.

In most states, there are increased penalties for second and subsequent DUI convictions, and to be safe, Georgia is probably one of them, even with a 5 or 10 year prior.

If the Florida driver is found guilty of DUI in Georgia, he can bet that the information will be shared with Florida, where his license would be revoked for one year, without a permit. Additionally, he would be required to install an ignition interlock device (IID) before his license could be reinstated.

Do you live outside of Florida?

If you are a Florida resident who was arrested for DUI in Georgia, Alabama or another state, you should contact a DUI attorney in that state ASAP and discuss your case and the applicable state laws.

On the other hand, if you are a resident of another state and you were arrested for DUI in Miami, feel free to contact my firm, Jonathan Blecher, P.A. to discuss your case with a Florida attorney who is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, and AV® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®.