DUI Defender

From time to time we encounter persons charged with driving under the influence who are licensed by the FAA to fly aircraft. Often these persons are as concerned (sometimes more concerned) with the FAA’s action toward their pilot’s license than the State’s action against their driving privilege. The rules are somewhat convoluted and an attorney can definitely help sort out the impact of a DUI arrest on a pilot’s license. I found an excellent site that discusses the effect a DUI can have on a pilots license.

The simple explanation is that a person with a pilot’s license need not self report until either an administrative action has been taken against their driving privilege, or they have been convicted of an alcohol related driving crime (DUI, OWI, DWI, etc.). If one of these events occurs (either a driving privilege suspension or restriction or criminal conviction for an alcohol related driving crime) the pilot has 60 calendar days to report the action and incident to the FAA. The pilot must report each action despite having arisen from the same event. This means that a pilot must notify the FAA if there is an action against their driving privilege and send a second notice if they are convicted of an alcohol related offense. The FAA has an online resource for questions relating to this particular aspect of their licensing rules and regulations.

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