Your driver’s license often represents much more to you than simply the ability to drive. It lets you live your life in the way you wish, letting you take road trips with families, pick up kids from school, attend your daily job, complete your chores and handle all of your medical needs. It allows you to live in an independent way.

Thus, when facing a DWI charge, you need to seriously consider the impact that a conviction could have on your life. If you rely on your car for many aspects of day-to-day living, then you want to avoid conviction and the potential loss of your license. But how can you do this?

Defending your license

The Department of Motor Vehicles for New York State takes a look at the penalties for driving under the influence. First, you can actively defend yourself against the charges brought against you. Depending on what circumstances led to your arrest, this might pose more or less of a hurdle for you.

As an example, an officer who arrested you due to reckless driving and a notably high blood alcohol content (BAC) level may prove a more sizeable issue. On the other hand, if you blew a 0.08 percent on a breath analysis test, you may have reason to believe the test was performed in a faulty way.

Applying for a hardship license

You can also look into a hardship license in the event that you cannot argue against your charge. In order to apply, you must show that losing your license will have a catastrophic impact on your life, such as causing you to lose your job. You will also have to show a lack of any other reasonable modes of transportation.

In order to avoid the more complex aspects of this potential court battle, consider contacting legal aid who can help you through your case.