If you are convicted of a DWI (driving while impaired) in North Carolina, you will be required to obtain a substance abuse assessment from a local service provider, and complete the recommended treatment or education, in order to get your driver’s license reinstated. In fact, if you want to get a limited driving privilege during the initial suspension of your license while your DWI case is pending, you will need to complete the assessment and sign up for treatment or education in accordance with the recommendation, prior to having your attorney petition the court for the limited driving privilege (LDP). The service provider you choose must be approved by the state of North Carolina in order to qualify for the court’s requirements.
Please see our DWI Resource for a list of qualified service providers, listed by county. When you arrive for an assessment, you’ll want to make sure you bring with you a copy of your complete DMV record from North Carolina, along with any other states in which you’ve lived, documentation of your BAC (blood/breath alcohol content) at the time of your alleged offense, and a copy of your court papers (including citation) relating to your DWI case.
The cost of the assessment itself is $100, and the treatment or education recommended can vary widely in cost, depending on the scope of the recommendation. The lowest level recommendation is a class that will cost approximately $160, and goes up from there for treatment at increasing levels of intensity.
Once you have completed the assessment along with the treatment or education recommended as a result, and the revocation period for your driver’s license has lapsed, you can pay the associated DMV fees and have your NC driver’s license reinstated at that time.
