DWI convictions stay on your record forever, but how they affect the penalties, which get more and more severe as you progress from a first, to second, to third offense, can depend on timing.
Obtain a complete abstract from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. If the date you were ticketed for your first offense (not the date of conviction) was more than ten years before your second, then your second will count as a first offense for sentencing.
But, that step-down for a first offense can only happen once. If a third offense occurs more than ten years after the second, then it is treated as a second offense, not a first.
However, if a third offense occurs within ten years of the second, it is treated as a third. For more information and examples of how this works, check out this page.
I May Be Able to Help!
I don't take every case that comes to me. But if you were arrested and charged with a DUI in Gloucester, Camden, Burlington, Salem, or Cumberland County, you know you need to hire a lawyer for your case, and you want to make an investment in the level of representation that you need, then call my office immediately at 856-432-4113 or fill out my contact form to schedule an appointment to discuss your case! You will thank yourself later!
If you are looking for more information on New Jersey's drunk driving law, then download my free book, How Much Trouble Am I In? A Guide to New Jersey Drunk Driving Law.
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