It appears there will be two major legislative changes this year to Florida DUI laws. The intent of these changes is purported to be to make the streets safer and to save the taxpayers money. And while it may work towards those goals, the big winner will be the companies that install and maintain Ignition Interlock Systems.
Florida Statute 316.193 is going to be amended to require that if convicted of DUI, defendants will be required to install an Interlock Ignition Device on all vehicles owned, leased, or routinely operated. There will be a minimum requirement that the device be in place for three continuous months.
Also, Florida Statute 322.2615 is being drastically rewritten.
The changes will allow a person arrested for Florida DUI to avoid a hard time suspension of their license by waiving their right to a hearing and accepting the restricted license. Given that the scope of review in these hearings is so limited and relief is granted so rarely, it will most likely be a "no-brainer" to waive your right of review and accept a hardship driver's license immediately. This dramatic decrease in the number of hearings will result in local Bureau of Administrative Review offices being closed and reviews consolidated in Tallahassee. This should be a significant cost saving to the State and will hopefully streamline the DUI process.
This proposed legislation is still pending, and it is anticipated that it will be passed in the next legislative session. We will do our best to keep you updated on the latest changes to our DUI Laws.
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