Worried About Losing Your License After a DWI
Arrest? Here’s How to Get It Back
In Minnesota, a DWI arrest can cost you your driver’s license before you ever see the inside of a courtroom. Under the state’s implied consent law, a license revocation can take effect within days of your arrest — a separate, faster-moving process than your criminal case. That surprises a lot of people, and the confusion costs them time they don’t have.
If you’re worried about losing your license, here are three things you can do right now.
1. Gather and keep every piece of paperwork.
The documents you receive after a DWI stop matter more than most people realize, and they don’t always arrive the same way. Sometimes the arresting officer hands you paperwork on the spot. Sometimes it’s given to you at the jail during booking. And sometimes — especially anything related to your license — it shows up later by mail from the Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division.
Keep all of it, and don’t assume mail from the DMV is routine or safe to ignore. A notice of revocation starts a strict clock running, and Minnesota’s deadline to challenge that revocation is 60 days from the date you receive it. Miss that window, and you may permanently lose your right to a judicial review — regardless of what happens in your criminal case.
2. Talk to a lawyer about your options.
A DWI arrest actually creates two separate legal problems: the criminal charge, and the civil license revocation running on its own timeline. A lawyer trained in this area can look at the facts of your stop, your test results, and any DMV notices you’ve received, and tell you what options are realistically available — whether that’s challenging the revocation itself, pursuing a limited license, or focusing your resources on the criminal case first. This isn’t a decision to make alone or from a form you find online; the right strategy depends entirely on the specifics of your arrest.
3. Ask about temporary reinstatement.
If you file a petition for judicial review, Minnesota courts can, in some circumstances, grant what’s called temporary reinstatement — a judicial stay that lets you keep driving while your implied consent case is pending. Whether this is available to you depends on your county, your prior record, and the specifics of your arrest. It isn’t automatic, and it isn’t guaranteed, but it’s worth asking about early, since some of the eligibility windows are also time-sensitive.
The bottom line: the clock starts running very quickly after a DWI arrest, not when you get around to dealing with it. The sooner you get organized and get advice, the more options you’re likely to have.
Pacyga Trial Lawyers represents clients throughout Minnesota facing DWI charges and license revocation. Call [612-339-5844] for a confidential consultation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.