If you were arrested and charged with a DWI in Lafayette, Louisiana or a neighboring City, please call the 1-800 number below to get in contact with an experienced DWI attorney to fight your case.

1-800-420-9444

Lafayette, Louisiana DWI Criminal Defense Attorney

What happens if I was arrested for DWI in Lafayette?

Pursuant to Louisiana law, once you have been cited for violating the DWI statute, the state initiates two separate, yet simultaneous legal actions against you. There is a criminal action in response to the ticket that was issued to you, and an administrative action is brought against your driver's license by the Office of Motor Vehicles in Louisiana. Both actions can result in the suspension of your driving privileges, but it is important to remember that there may be additional penalties to consider. Also, each action must be handled separately.Contact a Louisiana DWI criminal defense lawyer today for a fast, free consultation.

Being charged with DWI is a serious offense that can have major consequences, including jail time, loss of driving privileges, and monetary fines. It is imperative that anyone facing a Louisiana DWI understand what challenges they will encounter. It is important you seek the legal advice of a capable and experienced DWI defense attorney immediately. If you want to make sure you understand all of your rights and options, including any defenses you might use, call today for a fast and free consultation.

Louisiana DWI - DUI Administrative Hearing

If you fail to request a hearing within 15 days, your right to the hearing is lost, and your driver's license is automatically suspended for the applicable statutory time frame. In order to preserve your right to an administrative hearing, it is crucial that you submit your request to the Office of Motor Vehicles in Louisiana within 15 days. Contact a competent and knowledgeable DWI criminal defense lawyer in Lafayette, Louisiana to help, but do not delay.

Pursuant to Louisiana law, an individual has 15 days to request an Administrative Hearing from the Office of Motor Vehicles in Louisiana. Once the arresting officer retains your state issued driver's license, you are issued a temporary receipt of license. This receipt will serve as your driver's license for the following 15 days in lieu of the one retained by the officer.

DWI Penalties for First Time Offenders

Alcohol Evaluation - Successful completion of a DWI knowledge test and chemical assessment is required for reinstatement of driving privileges.
Chemical Test Refusal - Refusing to submit to a test when requested by law enforcement will result in the revocation of driver's license in Louisiana for 180 days.
Commercial Drivers - Commercial drivers are in violation of the DWI statute with a BAC level of 0.04. A first time DUI (DWI) conviction will result in the loss of the commercial driver's license for 1 year, while any subsequent DWI offenses will result in a lifetime loss of the commercial license.
Monetary Fines + Court Costs - Fines for a first time DWI range between $300.00, up to $1,000.00, plus court costs.
Louisiana Driving Privileges and DWI - In Lafayette, Louisiana, a first time DWI - DUI conviction results in the revocation of driving privileges for 365 days.

Underage Driving Under the Influence (UDWI)

In Louisiana, a UDWI was a conviction received from any District, City, Municipal, Federal or Magistrate court having traffic jurisdiction for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of beverages of alcoholic content with a BAC level of .02 - .079 and under the age of 21 up until August 15, 2007. After that date, any UDWI conviction received are processed as a DWI.

DWI Subsequent Offenses

Penalties are increasingly more severe for any additional DWI violations. Due to the complexity of DWI laws in Louisiana, you may not be aware of rights and options, including any defenses you might use. This is why a competent and knowledgeable lawyer can guide you through this emotionally challenging process. Please contact a Louisiana DWI (DUI) defense attorney for a professional and free consultation.

Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.

DWI Attorneys and Information by City


BATON ROUGE	MONROE
BOSSIER CITY	Mandeville
Covington	NEW ORLEANS
KENNER	SHREVEPORT
LAFAYETTE	Slidell
LAKE CHARLES	St Tammany Parish

Complete and submit this form and a
DUI / DWI attorney will contact you shortly.

*Required field

* First Name:

* Last Name

* Email

* Phone

Arrest Date

* State

* City

County

* Questions, Comments

(Description of Legal Problem)

Legal Disclaimer
DWIattorney.com does not provide legal advice, and the information found on this site is not legal advice. DWIattorney.com is not a lawyer referral service. No attorney client or confidential relationship is formed by the use of this site. The attorneys listed on DWIattorney.com have paid for advertising space, and it should not be construed as an endorsement by DWIattorney.com or a referral from an authorized lawyer referral service. The operators who answer phone calls at DWIattorney.com are not authorized to provide legal advice. These operators simply forward the information you provide to an attorney who advertises with DWIattorney.com in your area. DWIattorney.com is not a lawyer referral service, and it only has one attorney per area who has paid for their advertisement.