A commercial driver DUI is a DUI that threatens your commercial driver's license, and the rules are tougher than for regular drivers. If you hold a CDL, the legal limit while operating a commercial vehicle is 0.04% BAC, half the 0.08% limit for everyone else.
The bigger difference is what a conviction does to your livelihood. A first DUI can disqualify your CDL for at least one year. If you were hauling hazardous materials, that jumps to three years. A second qualifying offense can mean a lifetime CDL disqualification. These consequences come from federal rules that California enforces, so they're hard to negotiate around once a conviction lands.
Here's the part that catches many drivers off guard. A DUI in your own personal car, off the clock, on a weekend, can still trigger CDL disqualification. The commercial penalty follows the license, not just the vehicle you were driving.
That means the standard DUI outcomes hit differently for you. Even a reduction that would be a good result for someone else may still carry CDL fallout, so the strategy has to account for your commercial license from day one. Protecting your driving record at the DMV hearing is often just as important as the court case.
Read more on the commercial driver DUI page and the DMV hearings page.
This is general information, not legal advice, and every case is different. For a free consultation, call (858) 622-7280 or visit /contact.