According to the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) website, http:www.mva.maryland.gov, a Maryland police officer can request that a driver suspected of driving under the influence submit to a test for blood alcohol content (BAC) provided he or she has reasonable grounds to believe that the driver is impaired by alcohol, drugs, or other controlled substances.
Driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while impaired (DWI) is an offense a driver commits when operating a vehicle after consuming too much alcohol, using drugs, or using other intoxicants. In the state of Maryland, the blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is 0.08 percent for drivers 21 years of age and older.
Maryland has what is called the law of implied consent, meaning that any individual who drives or attempts to drive a motor vehicle on a Maryland public highway or on any private property that is used by the public is deemed to have consented to be chemically tested in order to establish the driver’s blood alcohol concentration level or the concentration of drugs or controlled substances when the officer reasonably believes that the driver is impaired.
Even though Maryland has the law of implied consent, an individual may not be compelled to take a BAC test or drug test, but if the driver refuses to be tested, once the MVA receives a certified statement from a police officer that the individual refused to take the test, a driver’s license suspension period will be imposed. The MVA may also suspend the driver’s license of any motor vehicle operator who agrees to be tested and is found to have a BAC of 0.08 percent or higher.
The DUI defense attorneys at the firm of Alpert Schreyer want you to know that Maryland has the law of implied consent. If you refuse to submit to a BAC test, your license may be suspended for up to 120 days. You must request a hearing within ten days through the MVA to contest the license suspension. If you are facing a DUI charge in Maryland, you must act quickly. Call us at (301) 708-2689 for a confidential, free case evaluation.