How Does a Naperville DUI Charge Affect Professional Licenses and Certifications?

DUIs are sweeping across Illinois. 20,131 drivers were arrested in Illinois for DUIs in 2020. 90% of these drivers lost their driving privileges. 

But losing your driver’s license isn’t the only thing you lose after a DUI charge. A DUI can lead to you losing your professional license, even if you aren’t found guilty. Before you face a DUI charge, you need to know how a DUI and a professional license relate to each other.

Do Naperville DUIs affect certifications? Can you lose your license forever if you get arrested? What investigations do licensing groups conduct into their members? 

Answer these questions and you can save your job after a DUI. Here is your quick guide.

Medical Licenses

A DUI conviction in Illinois can create problems if you have a medical license. The Illinois Medical Board may conduct an investigation to determine what happened. 

They may also examine whether drinking alcohol has impacted your work performance. If it has, your license will be suspended. You also may face a suspension if you drank at a work party and were driving home. 

An arrest in and of itself may not be enough to put your license in jeopardy. The Illinois Medical Board understands that false arrests may happen. You may have swerved to avoid traffic, and this led an officer to think you were drinking.

However, even an arrest for a DUI can result in a driver’s license suspension. You may need to use public transportation or rely on rides in order to get to work. This can impact your work performance, especially if you are a concierge doctor or traveling nurse.

Yet, you may be able to apply for a restricted license. The license will allow you to commute to and from work and attend to your responsibilities. Talk to a lawyer to see if you qualify for one.

Law Licenses

The Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) takes the reputation of lawyers seriously. If you are a lawyer and you get a DUI charge, you should expect an investigation from the ISBA. 

But the ARDC have not suspended the licenses of lawyers convicted of one misdemeanor DUI. They only opt to suspend licenses when the drivers hurt someone or if their behavior reflects negatively on their clients. 

Subsequent offenses can lead to disciplinary action. The ARDC may censure you if you drove with your child in the backseat or nearly hit someone. If you commit multiple DUIs, the ARDC may suspend your license for a few years.

Law Enforcement Certifications

The Illinois Police Training Act gives the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board the authority to investigate police officers. The Board will suspend an officer’s license once they receive notification of a felony arrest.

It will then conduct an investigation to determine how long the suspension will be. Investigators will see how serious the DUI was and whether the DUI involved bodily harm. They may opt to suspend your license for years or permanently. 

A first-time arrest for a DUI can also lead to a suspension. The Board has the right to suspend an officer for conduct that is harmful to the public. If you swerved into traffic or drove through a red light, the Board may think your conduct was harmful and decertify you.

Besides a license suspension, a DUI may make it harder for you to find work. Many police departments refuse to hire anyone with a criminal record, including for DUIs. Others require you to show proof that you are pursuing treatment for alcohol abuse.

Commercial Driver’s Licenses

Any DUI charge will have a negative effect on your commercial driver’s license (CDL). Even if you were not drinking on the job, you may face a one-year CDL suspension.

You will not be able to work until you get your license back. If you drive on a suspended license, you face additional penalties, including a longer suspension period.

You also face additional penalties if you committed other offenses besides a DUI. You will get a one-year suspension for refusing a breathalyzer test and fleeing an accident that resulted in death.

If you have a license for transporting hazardous waste, you will get a three-year suspension. A second conviction of a DUI will lead to a lifetime suspension.

Flying Licenses

You may lose your pilot’s license after a DUI, even if you are not a professional pilot. You must write a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about a DUI conviction.

The FAA does not frequently take action against people who have been arrested. But they can suspend your license if you get convicted of a DUI.

The FAA does not allow anyone to fly an airplane within eight hours of drinking alcohol. If you drink and fly, you may go to prison and lose your pilot’s license.

Teaching Licenses

A DUI arrest can lead to several outcomes for teachers. Some teachers may keep their jobs and avoid any penalties whatsoever.

Other teachers may lose their jobs, but they can find positions in another district. They can also transition to administrative positions or online jobs. But some teachers do lose their licenses and cannot work in the education industry. 

The outcome depends on the circumstances of the arrest and the district’s policies. A first-time offense with a low blood alcohol content may lead to no consequences. However, subsequent arrests can lead to being fired. 

How a DUI Charge Can Affect Your License in Naperville

A Naperville DUI charge can derail your career. Lawyers, police officers, and commercial drivers can lose their licenses after any DUI arrest. If their conduct reflects negatively on their profession or endangers someone, state boards may remove their license for good. 

For most other professions, a first-time arrest will not lead to problems. But subsequent arrests and charges related to DUIs can result in suspensions. Investigations determine penalties on a case-by-case basis.

You must fight back against DUIs to keep your job. John M. Quinn & Associates, Ltd. can help you navigate these issues. Contact us today.

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