Skip to main content
NC DPS logo NC DPS

Topical Navigation

  • Home
  • Our Organization
    Our Organization
    • Law Enforcement
    • Adult Correction
    • Juvenile Justice
    • Emergency Management
    • Homeland Security
    • North Carolina National Guard
    • Office of Recovery & Resiliency
  • DPS Services
    DPS Services
    • Offender Search
    • Victim Services
    • Permits & Licenses
    • Grants
    • Prison Rape Elimination Act
    • Safety Tips
    • Samarcand Training Academy
    • Spanish Resources
  • Careers That Matter
    Careers That Matter
    • Career Fairs
    • Correctional Officers
    • DPS Healthcare
    • Probation and Parole Officers
    • State Highway Patrol
    • Alcohol Law Enforcement
    • Emergency Management
    • Juvenile Justice Careers
    • State Capitol Police
    • Contact a DPS Recruiter
    • NCDPS Internships
  • About DPS
    About DPS
    • Office of the Secretary
    • Administration
    • Professional Standards, Policy and Planning
    • Divisions
    • Boards and Commissions
    • Statistics and Data
    • Administrative Rules
    • Current Initiatives
  • News
    News
    • Press Releases
    • News Conferences
    • Blog: DPS Dispatch
    • In Case You Missed It
    • Calendar of Events
    • Media Contacts
  • Contact
    Contact
    • Send Email
    • Frequently Called Phone Numbers
    • Public Records Request
    • Directory
    • Report Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • Send Email
  • NC.GOV
  • AGENCIES
  • JOBS
  • SERVICES
NC DPS »   Our Organization »   Law Enforcement »   State Highway Patrol »   Laws »   Driving and Alcohol »   Testing

Drug and Alcohol Testing

Drivers License Revocation

All persons charged with DWI who refuse to take an Intoxilyzer test or has results of 0.08 or more, 0.04 if commercial motor vehicle, or under age 21 and the results are above 0.00, will have their license revoked immediately for 30 days.

There is a limited driving privilege available after 10 days. Upon conviction of DWI for first offense, the license is revoked for one year. A limited driving privilege may be granted by the judge, but only if the driver did not hurt anyone, did not have a child under sixteen years of age in the car at the time of the drunk driving, and the driver obtains a substance abuse assessment.

In order to have a license restored at the end of one year, the driver must go to treatment or school as recommended by the assessment. Upon conviction of a second offense within three years, the revocation is four years.

Refusing a Test
A driver who is stopped by a trooper or other officer for certain alcohol-related offenses will be requested to submit to a breath test or blood test or both to determine alcohol concentration or the presence of drugs in the blood. The results of the test will be used in court.

 If the driver refuses the test, an immediate 30-day revocation is imposed and an additional one-year revocation is imposed after an opportunity for a hearing. Even if the driver is found not guilty of DWI in court, the one-year revocation is imposed for refusing the test. A limited driving privilege may be granted but only after a six-month revocation period.

Drugs
Law officers can order chemical tests for drugs, and if refused, the person's  driver's license can be revoked.

 

Driving and Alcohol

  • Felony DWI
  • History and Stats
  • Open Container
  • Testing
  • Zero Tolerance

Share this page:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

How can we make this page better for you?

Back to top

Contact

NC Department of Public Safety

Physical Address: 
512 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh
 
Mailing Address:
4201 Mail Service Center, 

Raleigh, NC 27699-4201
 

919-733-2126

Activity Feed

Activity Feed

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Flickr
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Employee Directory
  • Translate Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Open Budget
NC DPS
https://www.ncdps.gov/our-organization/law-enforcement/state-highway-patrol/laws/driving-alcohol/testing