Stay Connected

On Call 24 Hours a Day / 7 Days a Week

Call Me Today: (612) 344-1505

WHAT HAPPENS IF I HAVE A MINNESOTA DRIVER’S LICENSE AND GET ARRESTED FOR A DWI IN ANOTHER STATE?

Minneapolis DWI Lawyer F. T. Sessoms writes:

If you are a Minnesota Resident holding a Minnesota Driver’s license and are arrested for a DWI in another state, your problem is much worse than if you had been arrested in your home state.  You now have two states to deal with:  (1) the State where you were arrested and; (2) the State of Minnesota.

People often ask me when they have been arrested for a DWI in another state, if they also face criminal charges in Minnesota?  Fortunately, the answer is no: you can only face criminal (i.e. DWI) charges in the State where the offense occurred.  But Minnesota Residents arrested for a DWI in another state face a second problem: The revocation of their privilege to drive in two states.

For example:  A Minnesota resident is arrested in Florida for DWI. Florida will revoke their privilege to drive in Florida and they will also report the revocation and/or conviction to the State of Minnesota. Minnesota will then revoke the resident’s license to drive in Minnesota for the same amount of time as the Florida revocation, even if the Florida revocation period is longer than it would have been had the offense occurred in Minnesota. If the appropriate revocation period is longer in Minnesota than it is in the state where the DWI occurred, the longer Minnesota revocation period will apply.

So Minnesota license holders arrested for a DWI in another state face a “double-whammy” as they have to get their privilege to drive reinstated in the arresting State as well as their home State of Minnesota.

Contact Minneapolis DWI Attorney F. T. Sessoms:

If you or a loved one have been arrested for a Minnesota DWI, feel free to contact Minneapolis DWI Lawyer, F. T. Sessoms at (612) 344-1505 for answers to all of your Minnesota DWI questions.