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Dayton DUI: Don’t Pay Your Reinstatement Fee Until Your Case Is Over…

Dayton DUI Attorney Charles Rowland > DUI Law  > DUI Process  > Dayton DUI: Don’t Pay Your Reinstatement Fee Until Your Case Is Over…

Dayton DUI: Don’t Pay Your Reinstatement Fee Until Your Case Is Over…

Charles M. Rowland II may be able to get your reinstatement fee lowered from $475.00 to $40.00.  Whether or not he can do this is not decided until the end of the case.  So Don’t Pay Right Away!

In Ohio, any person who operates a vehicle within the state of Ohio is legally presumed to have given his or her consent to a chemical test of their blood, breath, or urine to determine alcohol content if arrested for OVI (drunk driving).  According to Ohio Revised Code 4511.191, if probable cause exists to believe that you are operating a vehicle while impaired (commonly called a DUI) and you refuse to take a chemical test at the request of law enforcement, your license will be suspended immediately. Depending on previous offenses or refusals, you can have your license suspended for a period of 1 year to 5 years.  After a second offense your vehicle may also be immobilized.  If you take the evidential chemical test and receive a BAC result of .08 or higher, you will receive an Administrative License suspension (ALS) for a period of 90 days – 5 years, depending on how offenses you have on your record.  See, Ohio’s Implied Consent Law, here.  Issues involving juveniles, CDL operators, felony offenses, accident cases and repeat offenders require special attention and should be thoroughly discussed with your DUI attorney.

The arresting officer will forward a copy of the Administrative License Suspension to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  The Ohio BMV will then send you a letter advising you of the suspension and giving you information on how to reinstate your license.  What they don’t tell you is that upon entry of a plea in your case, the Automatic License Suspension will terminate.  If you plead guilty to OVI (drunk driving) or enter a no-contest plea to OVI (drunk driving) the automatic license suspension will terminate. O.R.C. 4511.191.  Ohio law requires the court to suspend your license upon entry of a plea to an OVI offense (example: a first-time OVI offender has a mandatory license suspension of a minimum of six (6) months).  Effectively, your ALS suspension will end and a court suspension will begin.  After serving the term of your suspension, reinstatement of your license is required before you can legally drive.  If, however, your attorney is successful in garnering a reduction to Reckless Operation, O.R.C. 4511.20, and getting the court to agree to terminate your ALS suspension, your reinstatement fee may be dramatically reduced (from $475.00 to $40.00).  Thus, paying the reinstatement fee prior to the end of your case may be unnecessary and unduly expensive.  If you find yourself facing the loss of your license due to an ALS/refusal suspension, it is important that you speak to a DUI attorney right away.

Protecting Your License After Your DUI Is Over

OK, your DUI/OVI case has been resolved… Now what? Here are ten common-sense rules that will guide you through any difficulties that arise after your case.  By following these rules you will reduce the chance that you will have continuing issues with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.  Your attorney is your best source of help if you do encounter any problems and should be the first person you call.

  1. Make sure the Ohio BMV knows how to reach you. The burden is upon you to notify them of any address change. Courts will accept their statement that they sent you information at your last known address as valid even if you did not get it.
  2. Make sure the court knows how to reach you.  As with the BMV, the court will send valid notices to your last known address.  Not keeping this information current can be disastrous.  If your probation officer cannot reach you, he/she may issue a warrant for your arrest.
  3. Follow the rules!  If you are required to attend a weekend intervention program and/or sign up for treatment, please do so.  Not attending a program and/or missing a schedule evaluation usually results in a letter being sent to the court.  The court, in turn, schedules a hearing on why you have disobeyed.  The hard work of your attorney can be undone.  It is also important to realize that most weekend intervention programs run on a tight schedule.  They can and will lock you out of the program for being late.
  4. Follow all the rules!  It is much easier for your attorney to obtain a new driving privilege order than to defend you for driving under suspension.  Please drive only on valid privileges. If your job and/or hours change, make sure the changes are reflected on your order.  You should also only drive at the time and to the location provided for in your order.
  5. Show proof of insurance to everyone, all the time, every where…at least twice.  The police officer can mark proof of insurance.  Your attorney can show proof of insurance prior to the disposition of your case.  The judge can mark proof of insurance on the file and the proof can be maintained in the file.  However, the BMV should be sent a separate notice of proof at least two weeks prior to filing for reinstatement.
  6. Pay your reinstatement fee.  At least two weeks prior to the end of your suspension arrive at the BMV with your proof of insurance and your reinstatement fee.  I have abandoned giving the advice to mail it in.  Suck it up and go to the BMV in person.  You are likely to have proof that day and all issues will be solved.  You are not valid until the reinstatement fee is paid.
  7. Pay your court fees and costs on time.  Failure to do so may result in jail time, driving suspensions and/or monetary fines.  The failure to pay fines may also impact your probation.
  8. Renew your license on time even if you are under suspension.  Many times people will avoid paying the renewal during a suspension.  This is not a good idea.  To be valid at the end of your suspension, you must have a valid license.  Unwittingly, you may put yourself in the awful position of having to re-test.
  9. If you need identification during a DUI case, please contact the BMV for a “temporary” i.d.  Do not under any circumstances get a state issued identification because this will cancel your license and you will be required to re-test.
  10. Keep my number.  We pride ourselves on providing services to our clients after their OVIcases have been concluded.  Contact Charles M. Rowland II at 937-318-1DUI (318-1384) if you run into any problems with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

DUI attorney Charles M. Rowland II dedicates his practice to defending the accused drunk driver in Fairborn, Dayton, SpringfieldKetteringVandaliaXeniaMiamisburgSpringboro,Huber HeightsOakwoodBeavercreekCenterville and throughout Ohio.  He has the credentials and the experience to win your case and has made himself the Miami Valley’s choice for DUI defense.  Contact Charles Rowland by phone at 937-318-1DUI (937-318-1384), 937-879-9542, or toll-free at 1-888-ROWLAND (888-769-5263).  For after-hours help contact our 24/7 DUI HOTLINE at 937-776-2671.  For information about Dayton DUI sent directly to your mobile device, text DaytonDUI (one word) to 50500.  Follow DaytonDUI on Twitter@DaytonDUI or Get Twitter updates via SMS by texting DaytonDUI to 40404. DaytonDUI is also available on Facebook and on the DaytonDUI channel on YouTube.  You can also email Charles Rowland at: CharlesRowland@DaytonDUI.com or write to us at 2190 Gateway Dr., Fairborn, Ohio 45324. “All I do is DUI.”

Charles Rowland

charlie@daytondui.com

Charles M. Rowland II has been representing the accused drunk driver for over 20 years. Contact him at (937) 318-1384 if you find yourself facing a DUI (now called OVI) charge.

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