How long is my license suspended for a first DUI?

Two separate things get called "the suspension," and they have different lengths.

The administrative suspension is imposed at arrest by the department. For a first offense with a reading at or above the limit, it runs six months. For a first refusal, twelve months. This is the one the ten-day deadline applies to.

The revocation on conviction is ordered by the court. For a first DUI conviction it generally runs from six months to one year. Where serious bodily injury is involved, the minimum extends substantially — at least three years.

The two can overlap, and credit questions arise. Second and subsequent offenses escalate significantly, with a second within five years carrying a multi-year revocation and a fourth conviction carrying permanent revocation.

Hardship eligibility differs across all of these.