Minneapolis DWI Lawyer

License Plate Impoundment (Whiskey Plates)

Under Minnesota law, when you are arrested DWI, law enforcement officers may impound your license plates in certain circumstances, including:

• Your blood alcohol content was at least 0.20 percent
• You didn’t have a valid driver’s license at the time of the arrest
• You had received a DWI within the past 10 years
• Someone under the age of 16 was in the car with you when you were arrested

DWI Attorney in Minneapolis

It’s important to contact a Minneapolis criminal defense lawyer if your plates have been impounded because of a DWI arrest. Martin Law Offices will provide you with critical legal counsel in order to defend you against the DWI arrest that led to your plates being impounded. Did the officer properly conduct a field sobriety test? Were there errors made on a blood alcohol content test? Did the officer have proper justification for pulling you over and did they violate your civil rights during the arrest? These are some of the factors that can influence the case against you and can be used to help defend you against the charges you are facing.

Having your plates impounded is extremely serious. Not only do the plates on the car that you were driving when you were arrested get impounded, but so do the plates on any car registered in your name, even ones that you are jointly leasing with another person. When your plates get impounded, you may be able to obtain what are known as “whiskey plates.” These are specialty plates that have a unique color combination and start with set letters such as “WV,” “WY,” “XW.” If you obtain whiskey plates, you’ll be required to use them for one year and every car you drive must have them on it. Law enforcement officers are typically more likely to monitor the driving of a car carrying whiskey plates and can pull it over for the slightest infraction. If you’re driving a car with whisky plates and there is any alcohol in your system, the consequences can be extremely severe.

Contact a Minneapolis DWI lawyer to obtain experienced legal counsel if your plates have been impounded.