People preparing for a DUI case tend to focus on jail and fines. Those are real, but they end. The consequences that shape the years afterward are quieter and longer, and they are worth understanding before making decisions about how to handle the case.
This is not written to alarm you. It is written because clients consistently tell us they wish someone had explained the full picture before they decided how hard to fight.
How long does a DUI stay on your record in Washington?
This is the most important fact and the least known. Washington allows many misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor convictions to be vacated after waiting periods — but DUI convictions are specifically excluded. A DUI conviction stays on your record for life, appears on background checks indefinitely, and counts as a prior offense in any future impaired driving case.
How does a DUI affect your license and insurance?
- License suspension or revocation, with the length depending on your test result or refusal
- Ignition interlock requirements, including installation, monthly leasing, and calibration costs
- SR-22 high-risk insurance filing, typically required for years
- Insurance premiums that commonly increase substantially and stay elevated
- Possible non-renewal by your current insurer
| Area of life | What a DUI conviction means |
|---|---|
| Your record | Permanent — Washington does not allow DUI convictions to be vacated |
| Driving | Suspension or revocation, then an ignition interlock requirement of 1, 5 or 10 years |
| Insurance | SR-22 filing for years, substantially higher premiums, possible non-renewal |
| Employment | CDL disqualification; problems for anyone who drives for work |
| Professional licenses | Reporting obligations for nursing, education, real estate, insurance, aviation and law |
| Travel | Canada can refuse entry — which matters in Spokane |
| Immigration | For non-citizens, consequences can be severe with aggravating factors or multiple offenses |
| Family law | Can be raised in a custody case, particularly where children were in the vehicle |
Can a DUI cost you your job or professional license?
Any job that involves driving is immediately affected, and a commercial driver faces disqualification that can end a career. Beyond driving roles, many employers run background checks and treat a DUI as a judgment issue rather than a traffic matter.
Licensed professionals — in nursing and health care, education, real estate, insurance, aviation, and law — often face reporting obligations to their licensing board, and those boards conduct their own proceedings independent of the criminal case. Anyone holding a professional license or a security clearance should raise it with their attorney at the first meeting, because it can change which outcomes are acceptable.
Can you travel to Canada with a DUI?
This one matters enormously in Spokane. Canada treats impaired driving as a serious offense and can deny entry to people with a DUI conviction, sometimes for many years. For a city this close to the border — where a day trip north is ordinary — it is a consequence people genuinely do not anticipate until they are turned around at the crossing.
How does a DUI affect immigration, housing and custody?
- For non-citizens, impaired driving convictions can affect status, particularly with aggravating factors or multiple offenses
- Landlords screen applicants and can decline based on a criminal record
- A DUI can be raised in a family law case, particularly where children were in the vehicle or where substance use is alleged
- Some educational programs and volunteer roles conduct background checks that a DUI will not survive
What does all this mean for defending my case?
Understanding the full scope is not meant to be discouraging — it is the reason a first offense is worth defending properly. The difference between a DUI conviction and a reduction to reckless or negligent driving is not a technicality; it is the difference between most of the consequences on this page and a far more contained outcome. That is what the work is for.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a DUI stay on your record in Washington?
Permanently. Washington does not allow DUI convictions to be vacated, so they remain on your record indefinitely and count as prior offenses in any future case.
Will a DUI stop me from entering Canada?
It can. Canada treats impaired driving seriously and may deny entry to people with a DUI conviction. Given how close Spokane is to the border, this catches many people by surprise.
Will I lose my job?
It depends on the role. Positions involving driving are most at risk, commercial drivers face disqualification, and licensed professionals may have reporting obligations to their board. Tell your attorney about any license or clearance immediately.
How much will my insurance go up?
It varies by insurer, but most drivers see substantial increases along with an SR-22 filing requirement lasting years. Some insurers decline to renew altogether.
Ready to talk through your situation?
Reach a Schwab Law attorney in Spokane today.