The New York Drinking Driver Program (DDP) is a 7 week program designed to assist drivers convicted of driving while intoxicated, driving while ability impaired, or driving under the influence of drugs to make better and more appropriate driving decisions in the future. The program involves classroom education, screening, and in certain cases, evaluation and treatment.
Of critical importance, satisfactory completion of the DDP is required before drivers convicted of a New York DWI or New York DWAI will be permitted to have their license or (in the case of out of state drivers) their New York driving privileges reinstated. The DDP is 7 weeks long and each class is between 2-3 hours, for a total of 16 hours. The cost for the program includes an initial fee of $75.00 paid when the application is submitted, and then a fee of approximately $225.00 on the date of the first session. If you do not attend all seven weekly sessions, you cannot obtain your conditional license. After satisfactory completion of the program, the participant will receive a certificate of completion which must be furnished to the Court as part of the sentence for the DWI. Importantly, especially for those convicted of more than one drunk driving offense, a motorist is only eligible to participate in the DDP once every five years.
In order to enter the program, the driver must go to the local DMV office after sentencing with paperwork obtained from the Court, known as an “Order of Suspension or Revocation.” It generally takes approximately three weeks to get enrolled in the DDP.
A conditional license, which the driver uses until he or she gets his or her license reinstated, can be used to travel to and from work; to and from a class at an accredited school or college; to transport children to and from a child care facility; to and from DDP classes; to and from medical examinations as long as the necessity of the visit is certified in writing by the physician; to and from DMV with regard to the conditional license, and for court-ordered probation activities. A conditional license is not valid for driving a taxi or any motor vehicle that requires the driver to have a Commercial Driver License (CDL).
If you are charged in a New York drunk driving case, or with any other crime, contact The Law Office of Mark A. Siesel online or at (914) 428-7386 for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights and options.