Penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs often include the suspension or revocation of your driver's license. In some states, your license can be suspended for a period of three, six, or 12 months for refusing to submit to a chemical test, even if you're found innocent of the DUI (D-U-I) charge. In most states, the police can immediately confiscate the driver's license of a person who fails a breath test or whom they otherwise suspect of driving while intoxicated. Under a procedure called 'administrative license suspension,' the authorities can suspend your license before conviction. The length of time your license can be held under an administrative suspension differs among the states, and can vary from seven days in Virginia to a year in Georgia. In some states, driving privileges are restored after a certain period of time; in others, they aren't. Many states have a zero tolerance-policy toward DUI offenses among young people, whereby a driver's license can be revoked for driving under the influence of blood alcohol levels far lower than those that apply to adults.
