The DMV and Commercial Drivers

Interviewer: How does that affect people that have commercial drivers’ licenses?

Steve Tomeo: If you are driving your non-commercial vehicle and are arrested for a DUI. Your CDL will be suspended for the following reasons and time periods:

Disqualification for a period of one year will result from anyone conviction of:

• Operating under the influence
• Evading responsibility
• Use of a commercial motor vehicle in the commission of a felony
• Refusal to submit to a test to determine blood alcohol concentration or failure of such a test
• Leaving the scene of an accident
• Having an alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater while operating a CMV
• Driving a CMV when the driver’s CDL is revoked, suspended, canceled, or the driver is disqualified from operating a CMV

If any of the above-listed offenses occur while driving a vehicle transporting hazardous materials, the disqualification period will be a minimum of three years for a first conviction.

Two convictions for the above-listed violations will result in a lifetime disqualification of a Commercial Driver License.

Connecticut’s Alcohol Education Program Allows First Offenders to Have a Clean Criminal History

There’s a diversionary program called the Alcohol Education Program. That’s a program for first offenders that haven’t had the diversionary program within the past ten years. They can apply for entry and the central aspect of the alcohol education program is that after they take some classes, the criminal case will be dismissed. They will have a clean criminal history and will not have a DUI on their record.

CDL Holders Are Now Prohibited From Enrolling in the Program

Connecticut has changed that law to say if you have a CDL license, whether you are driving a non-commercial vehicle or driving a truck, you cannot apply for the alcohol education program.