PinIf you’ve been arrested or even convicted of impaired driving in Minnesota you are likely ready to move on with your life and hope that others are too. Many people mistakenly believe that drunk driving convictions simply fall off their driving records after a certain period of time. Sadly, this is not the case, at least not here in Minnesota. To find out more about how long DUIs can stay on your driving record, keep reading. 

Is there a time limit? 

Sadly, in Minnesota there is no time limit for drunk driving convictions. Though some people think that impaired driving incidents disappear after a few years, the reality is that under current Minnesota law, any impaired driving violation will remain on your driving record forever.

What about implied consent violations? 

The lifetime presence of DUI convictions extend even to implied consent violations which also show up in perpetuity. This means that a refusal to take a breath test can still be seen by those who request a lengthy enough background check. 

What about expungement? 

In Minnesota, drivers cannot have impaired driving convictions expunged from their driving records. Unfortunately, there are no loopholes around the reality that these convictions will remain on your record for years to come.

What about time limits with respect to subsequent convictions?

In Minnesota, those who are convicted of multiple impaired driving offenses face heightened punishment for their repeat offenses. So how long does the court system look back into your driving required when determining whether an incident qualifies as a prior conviction? The law limits the looking to the previous 10 years. Anything that happened in the 10 years prior to your recent arrest is fair game and can serve as a basis for additional charges.

What about time limits for insurance purposes? 

Though it is bad news that convictions remain on your driving record forever, the good news is that a DUI does not have to result in higher insurance premiums for the rest of your life. The reason for this is that most insurance companies only pull reports covering a certain period of time, not a lifetime history of those for whom they provide coverage. In most cases, insurance companies only look back between three and five years, meaning incidents that happened longer ago than that will likely not show up and thus will not impact your rates.

In summary, if you have been arrested or charged with a DWI in Minnesota, it is imperative that you seek the assistance of an experienced DUI attorney. As stated above, a conviction for drunk driving can be of a permanent nature and the consequences can potentially follow an individual for a long time. A skilled attorney will review your case to determine if there are any potential legal issues to avoid a conviction.