The short answer is yes, unless the right legal countermeasure are taken in time before the first DMV suspension hearing which comes up just days after getting arrested. Even in cases when a DUI suspension has already happened, being able to get a hardship license or restricted license are always the next best options.

A DUI conviction will show up on a criminal background check unless it has been expunged or sealed. This means that employers, landlords, and others may learn about it.

In all states, first-offense DUI or DWI is classified as a misdemeanor, and punishable by up to six months in jail. That jail time may be increased under certain circumstances.

It is used almost exclusively by the DMV. Previously, California law kept a DUI on your driving record only 7 years. This was changed in 2007. If you have any past DUI conviction, even from before the law changed, it will now stay on your record the full 10 years.

Getting a DUI is expensive, not just with posting bail and paying legal fees, but also in other areas like maintaining insurance, even taking time off your job to fulfill your sentence. While the national average cost of DUI is around $10,000, it can often be much higher or lower depending on where you live.