Revocation of your driver’s license is typically part of the penalty for a conviction on charges of vehicular homicide related to DUI. However, this does not necessarily mean that you lose your license forever and can never drive again.
Eventually, it may be possible to reinstate your license following a conviction for vehicular homicide related to intoxication. However, you must meet certain conditions first.
Incarceration
You must provide the Washington State Department of Licensing with information regarding your incarceration. The length of your incarceration determines the date that you are eligible to reinstate your driver’s license. At the very least, you must wait for two years.
Alcohol treatment
If your conviction involved drugs or alcohol, you must undertake an approved treatment program before you can apply to get your license back. You must also demonstrate satisfactory progress in that program.
Reinstatement fee
After the revocation of a driver’s license, the driver must pay a reinstatement fee to get a new license. This is true even if the reason for revoking the license was something other than vehicular homicide. You must reapply and pay the $75 reinstatement fee to get a new license.
Alternatives
The suspension letter you receive includes a form to request an administrative review. You must fill out this form and submit it within 15 days of the date of the letter.
For a conviction that involved DUI, you may be able to receive an ignition interlock license. This would allow you to drive only vehicles equipped with an ignition interlock device. The device analyzes a breath sample and prevents you from starting the vehicle if your blood alcohol exceeds a predetermined threshold.
However, the DOL issues ignition interlock licenses on a conditional basis. You can only receive one if there is nothing else in your driving record to prevent it and your vehicular homicide conviction involved drugs or alcohol.