If you’ve been charged with a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) offense, it is critical to secure an experienced DUI defense attorney. Among the attorney’s tasks is to negotiate every penalty in an effort to manage – if not minimize – the impact on you. One thing the lawyer is likely to push for is your participation in the Maryland Alcohol Education Program because the alternative can be far more punitive.

The charge

If you are under 21 driving with a Blood Alcohol Count (BAC) of 0.02%, you are considered impaired. If you are over 21, you are driving under the influence (DUI) at 0.08%, and if you are 0.04% with a commercial license, you are DUI. The penalties may include license suspension, jail time, and hefty fines.

If one of your penalties is the revocation of your license, you can pursue a new license by enrolling in a 12-hour Maryland Alcohol Education Program (AEP). The AEP is structured to turn you and your future around by avoiding any future incidents involving alcohol and driving.

You wind up in the AEP when you are referred by:

  • A District Court Judge
  • An Administrative Law Judge in the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH)
  • The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA)

The 26-week AEP

The program begins with a preliminary alcohol assessment, a psychological assessment to determine if you are an alcohol abuser or alcohol dependent. If the assessment measures a serious problem with dependency, you will be required to participate in a more intensive 26-week therapy treatment. Drivers who are required to attend the 26-week Alcohol Treatment Program will be given a reasonable time period in which to complete the program.

The 12-hour AEP

The 12-hour Maryland Alcohol Education Program is meant for those who have not been identified as an alcohol abuser or alcoholic dependent. Your DUI defense attorney can refer you to a number of AEP course providers, and you can enroll and start at any time – the sooner the better. Online AEP programs are generally NOT acceptable. The provider sets the price for the program. To get started:

  • Sign-up for a convenient session.
  • Pick a date within 90 days of the due date printed on the referral letter.
  • Cary the referral letter to your training session.
  • To replace a lost referral letter, visit your local MVA office or call the Driver Improvement Programs Unit in the Maryland Driver Wellness and Safety Division.

You will receive a letter confirming your course work from the AEP provider which you can present with your application for a new license. Failure to complete the AEP within the time frame specified in your referral letter will result in the suspension of  your driving privileges. Then, you will be notified that you must surrender your license to the MVA.

The total cost

The penalty for a conviction for Driving Under the Influence (DUI) or Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) is a typically a complex package that may include fines, threats of imprisonment and loss of license, as well as lost reputation and wages. The Maryland Alcohol Education Program is designed to provide offenders with rehabilitation and recovery and your participation may lesson some of the more punitive sentences you could otherwise receive, but this is very tough terrain to navigate without an experienced Maryland DUI attorney.