Driving under the influence (DUI) is a crime that can result in significant fines, a suspended or revoked license, and even time behind bars.
But most people don’t think about all the invisible consequences of a DUI conviction that come with a DUI conviction, some of which can last a lifetime and can spill over into your personal and professional life.
Often, when people are facing these charges, the first thing on their minds is the legal consequences of a DUI and they should be.
These can include all the things mentioned above but also parallel proceedings, such as a civil lawsuit concerning the loss of property, injury, or death that may result. An experienced DUI lawyer can help.
We are going to take a look at some of them in this blog. We discuss how this ‘youthful indiscretion’ will impact your future in ways that might surprise you.
Article Summary
Consequences of a DUI Conviction
But even for those who recognize these more immediate consequences of a DUI, there may be more disheartening, long range consequences that need to be considered.
Loss of Employment Opportunities
Often, the most important, yet least noticed, consequence of a DUI conviction is its effect on your career. Many employers now run background checks before hiring new employees.
If you have a DUI, it might not show up on your driving record, but if the employer runs a background test to check for a criminal record and a DUI shows up, it will likely be a problem.
A DUI could likely be a career killer for a job where you’ll be driving as part of your job, whether it’s a car delivery job, a long haul commercial truck driving job, or a salesperson who will have to drive a lot.
And even if your job doesn’t involve driving, many employers will see a DUI conviction as a reason to question your ability to show good judgment or whether they can trust you.
At the same time, some important professional licenses, such as for lawyers, doctors, or nurses, require disclosure of a DUI conviction and can result in disciplinary action, suspension, or even loss of your license.
Jobs That May Be Affected by a DUI Conviction
- Commercial Drivers: Anyone holding a commercial driver’s license (CDL) will lose the license if convicted of DUI. Basically, it means the end of the career.
- Healthcare Professionals: Nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers could lose their licenses to practice due to administrative actions that penalize them before trial.
- Educators: While it maintains that such a conviction would not automatically bar a person’s employment, it does allow for background checks by employers or educational institutions, possibly affecting the issuance of teaching certificates.
Find out what rights you have to disclose the conviction and how you can approach job applications in the future.
When applying for jobs, be honest about your conviction, but also point to what you did about it (such as attending a treatment or counseling program).
Higher Insurance Rates
Among the more immediate financial penalties of a DUI is what your conviction will do to your car insurance premiums.
Once you are convicted, the insurance companies will treat you as high risk. They will probably double or triple what you’ve been paying.
It’s even possible that your provider may simply drop the insurance altogether, leaving you to find another company willing to assume the risk.
Likewise, in some states, you may be required to file an SR-22 form to prove that you carry the legally required insurance coverage.
SR-22 forms are typically required for years following your DUI conviction and often result in even higher insurance premiums.
How a DUI Affects Insurance
It is most likely that your premiums will shoot up after a DUI, and you should plan for a three to five year period of higher premiums.
Some insurers could opt to cancel their policy on you, and you would find yourself less covered than before your conviction.
You might also have to file an SR-22 with the state, pledging that you have continued to maintain the level of insurance required by law.
Difficulty Obtaining Housing
A third one is employment. Rental properties nearly always screen prospective tenants. A DUI will flag you as a bad risk.
Thus, a criminal record, even one containing only a misdemeanor DUI will cause a landlord to question whether or not they want you as a tenant.
This is particularly so when dealing with large property management companies managing an apartment complex or a detached home subdivision where rentals are governed by extremely rigid rental guidelines that don’t allow much discretion.
So, in a competitive housing market, where multiple people might be competing for the same rental property, a DUI conviction might be the factor that keeps a landlord from picking you. Housing search might also be more difficult in high demand areas.
How DUI Impacts Housing
- Background Checks: Landlords often run background checks on prospective tenants, and a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) can lead to a tenant being turned down for an apartment solely based on this information.
- Limited Housing Options: A DUI on your record might mean you aren’t chosen for housing, especially when property management companies get more stringent.
How To Mitigate Housing Issues
Explicitly state your conviction when you apply to live there and describe where you are on the path to recovery. Perhaps you have recently completed some kind of treatment program.
And, importantly, apply to live with independent landlords with more leeway to work with you than a larger property management concern.
Strained Personal Relationships
In one respect, a DUI conviction impacts your most basic unit of interpersonal relationships. Family members and friends might not be able to rely upon you like they used to.
Any conviction becoming common knowledge will likely jeopardize some of your most critical close connections.
If, for example, you were convicted of a DUI, but the DUI is one in a troubling pattern of risky behavior, two things could happen: you could become more isolated, and you could experience profound guilt and shame.
Furthermore, a DUI can harm your case in a custody dispute or any kind of family court case.
Courts have been known to use a DUI conviction as a factor in determining whether to award custody or visitation rights, as they are generally thought to be reckless indicators of poor judgment or instability.
Family and friends may treat you with less respect because they see the DUI conviction as further proof of irresponsibility.
You’ll likely have at least one strained relationship due to your conviction. A DUI may be used against you in a child custody case.
It often makes you seem like you are an unfit parent. Be accountable for your actions, show loved ones that you’re serious about seeking help, and that you’ve made positive changes through some form of counseling or treatment programs.
Be honest with loved ones about your conviction and allow them time to regain trust.
Restrictions on Travel
You may lose the privilege to travel within your country and certainly to other countries. Depending on where you live, your driver’s license might get suspended or revoked as a part of your penalty for a DUI conviction, and this doesn’t make it easy for you to get around, particularly if public transportation is limited.
International travel might be more difficult, too. Some countries won’t let people with felony or misdemeanor convictions enter.
Canada, for instance, is strict about absorbing anyone with a DUI conviction into the nation, and you could be denied entry unless and until you apply for permission or complete the equivalent of a one year probation program.
You are now less able to travel even within your state. A DUI conviction may trigger a loss of your driver’s license for some time or forever. Canada might deny your entry if you have a DUI on your record.
If your license is suspended, investigate alternatives to driving, including ride sharing, public or private transit, or carpooling with friends and family.
If you are planning to travel abroad, check the immigration requirements of the destination country and consult with legal counsel regarding how you could secure entry if necessary.
Sure, there are fines, jail time, and driver’s license suspensions. But the least sexy parts of paying the penalty for driving under the influence (DUI) might be just the beginning.
The tangible and intangible residual effects of a DUI can devastate nearly every facet of your life, from jobs and insurance to love and leisure.
Learning about them might be the most effective lesson in creating safe, sober drivers and deterring repeat offenders.
Some short term options might involve either parole, which would impose more restrictions than probation.
In all cases, of course, one should be seeking legal advice or looking into how to minimize the long term effects of a DUI charge through rehab and other overt acts of reformation.
At the very least, know that many people recover from a DUI conviction and go on to lead satisfying lives.
