Impaired driving convictions — North Carolina Permit Test

A first DWI conviction brings a mandatory one-year revocation of your driver license.

The court has no choice on the first one. A year off the road is the floor, and it starts with the conviction.

First conviction: Mandatory revocation of your driver license for a period of one year.

A second DWI conviction brings a mandatory four-year revocation when the prior offense occurred within three years of the current one.

Two convictions close together mean the first one changed nothing. The second revocation is four times as long.

Second conviction: Mandatory driver license revocation for a period of four years when convicted of a prior offense which occurred within three years of the current offense for which the license is being revoked.

A third DWI conviction brings mandatory permanent revocation if at least one prior conviction occurred within the past five years.

By the third conviction the state stops counting years. The license is gone for good.

Third conviction: Mandatory, permanent driver license revocation if at least one of the prior convictions occurred within the past five years.

A fourth DWI conviction brings mandatory permanent revocation, and is a felony if the three prior convictions occurred within the past seven years.

Four times in seven years is no longer a traffic matter. The charge becomes a felony with a felony’s consequences.

The fourth conviction is considered a felony if the three prior DWI convictions occurred within the past seven years.

How long is the license revocation for a first DWI conviction?

One year. The court has no choice on the first one. A year off the road is the floor, and it starts with the conviction. North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.32: “First conviction: Mandatory revocation of your driver license for a period of one year.”