When you are arrested for an OVI in Ohio the police will ask you to submit to a blood, breath, or urine test. If you refuse or test over the legal limit you will be suspended administratively. This is referred to as an ALS. The old law used to tell the BMV to wait for a conviction of the DUI before acting. Now the law has changed, and the ALS is the trigger, not the conviction. The ALS will cause a one-year out-of-service disqualification of your CDL on a first offense. A second ALS will cause a lifetime out-of-service disqualification. The Court cannot grant driving privileges to drive a commercial vehicle. They can only grant privileges to drive a passenger vehicle. Another complication is that you might have a judge that grants driving privileges for your personal non-commercial vehicle with the restriction of an ignition interlock device. Interlock License Before issuing you the letter to drive, the clerk might require you to take a paper to the BMV and obtain a special Interlock License. This will cancel the CDL endorsements on your license. When your suspension is over you will have to reapply for a CDL.  The law also treats people differently if they are in a commercial vehicle when they get arrested. The legal limit is usually .08 for someone over 21. In a commercial vehicle, it is .04. Ohio’s CDL Disqualification is explained in ORC Section 4506.16. Hopefully, you have a lawyer on board as soon as something happens. If not, get one a.s.a.p. as time may bar you from any recourse through the appeal process. A hearing may be requested within 30 days of the mailing of the notice of disqualification. If the hearing is granted the disqualification will be stayed pending the outcome. First Offense Length of Disqualification ORCDescriptionDisqualification Length 4506.16(D)5Two serious traffic violations within a three-year period60 days 4506.16(D)6Three serious traffic violations within a three-year period120 days 4506.15(A)2BAC of .04% or more1 year 4506.15(A)5Under influence of controlled substance1 year 4506.15(A)6Using the commercial vehicle in the commission of a felony1 year 4506.15(A)7Refusing to submit to a blood, breath or urine test1 year Second Offense Length of Disqualification ORCDescriptionDisqualification Length 4506.15(A)2BAC of .04% or moreLife 4506.15(A)5Under influence of controlled substanceLife 4506.15(D)Leaving the scene of a traffic crashLife 4506.15(E)Using the commercial vehicle in the commission of a felonyLife 4506.15(F)Refusing to submit to a blood, breath or urine testLife 4506.16(B)4First time commission of a felony with a controlled substanceLife 4506.15(A)7First Violation of Out-of-Service90 days 4506.16(A)2Second Violation of Out-of-Service1 year 4506.16(A)3Third Violation of Out-of-Service3 years Violation of Out-of-Service (Transporting Hazardous Materials) ORCDescriptionDisqualification Length 4506.16(B)1First Violation of Out-of-Service180 days 4506.16(B)2Second Violation of Out-of-Service3 years NOTE: Under Ohio’s commercial driver’s license law, any person who holds a CDL shall be deemed to have consented to such testing as is required of him/her by any state or jurisdiction. If any level of alcohol is detected, law enforcement can place a commercial driver out-of-service for 24 hours. It is illegal to operate a commercial vehicle with any alcohol in your system.