Question: What are the penalties for a CDL holder who is convicted of a DUI in Oklahoma?
Answer: This is one of the really onerous and very punitive parts of DUI work. CDL is a commercial drivers license and that is a federal designation. So, the federal laws overlay our state laws. A first time DUI for a CDL holder doesn’t’ matter whether they’re driving—they could be driving their personal vehicle. A guy could be sitting out on the street in his personal car listening to the ballgame and be picked up for an APC, and because he has a CDL designation on his license, even if he’s not convicted, he loses his CDL designation for a year, and for many people that means they’re out of work for a year. This is a completely different part, as I said, from the criminal part of the case. It could be dismissed. It depends. Even if the person just paid the court costs and the case was dismissed, he still would lose his CDL. This is an area that takes a lot of finesse and you’ve got to be very sure of what you’re doing to protect a person’s livelihood.
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