Section 40-5-63. Periods of suspension; conditions to return of license

   (a) The driver's license of any person convicted of an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54 or of violating Code Section 40-6-391, unless the driver's license has been previously suspended pursuant to Code Sections 40-5-67.1 and 40-5-67.2, shall by operation of law be suspended and such suspension shall be subject to the following terms and conditions; provided, however, that any person convicted of a drug related offense pursuant to Code Section 40-6-391 shall be governed by the suspension requirements of Code Section 40-5-75; and further provided that each charge for which a conviction was obtained shall be treated as a separate transaction for the purpose of imposing a license suspension hereunder, even if said convictions arise from a single incident; and further provided that the department shall treat each conviction received in the order in which said convictions are processed even if it is not the order in which said offenses occurred:

   (1) Upon the first conviction of any such offense, with no arrest and conviction of and no plea of nolo contendere accepted to such offense within the previous five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained to the date of the current arrest for which a conviction is obtained, the period of suspension shall be for 12 months. At the end of 120 days, the person may apply to the department for reinstatement of said driver's license. Such license shall be reinstated if such person submits proof of completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and pays a restoration fee of $210.00 or $200.00 when such reinstatement is processed by mail unless such conviction was a recidivist conviction in which case the restoration fee shall be $510.00 or $500.00 when such reinstatement is processed by mail, provided that, if such license was suspended as a result of a conviction of an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54, such license shall be reinstated if such person submits proof of completion of either a defensive driving program approved by the department or a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and pays the prescribed restoration fee. A driver's license suspended as a result of a conviction of a violation of Code Section 40-6-391 shall not become valid and shall remain suspended until such person submits proof of completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and pays the prescribed restoration fee. For purposes of this paragraph, an accepted plea of nolo contendere to an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54 by a person who is under 18 years of age at the time of arrest shall constitute a conviction. For the purposes of this paragraph only, an accepted plea of nolo contendere by a person 21 years of age or older, with no conviction of and no plea of nolo contendere accepted to a charge of violating Code Section 40-6-391 within the previous five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained or pleas of nolo contendere accepted to the date of the current arrest for which a plea of nolo contendere is accepted, shall be considered a conviction, and the court having jurisdiction shall forward, as provided in Code Section 40-6-391.1, the record of such disposition of the case to the department and the record of such disposition shall be kept on file for the purpose of considering and counting such accepted plea of nolo contendere as a conviction under paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection;

   (2) Upon the second conviction of any such offense within five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained to the date of the current arrest for which a conviction is obtained, the period of suspension shall be for three years. At the end of 120 days, the person may apply to the department for reinstatement of such driver's license; except that if such license was suspended as a result of a second conviction of a violation of Code Section 40-6-391 within five years, the person shall not be eligible to apply for license reinstatement until the end of 18 months. Such license shall be reinstated if such person submits proof of completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and pays a restoration fee of $210.00 or $200.00 when such reinstatement is processed by mail unless such conviction was a recidivist conviction in which case the restoration fee shall be $510.00 or $500.00 when processed by mail, provided that, if such license was suspended as a result of a conviction of an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54, such license shall be reinstated if such person submits proof of completion of either a defensive driving program approved by the department or a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and pays the prescribed restoration fee. A driver's license suspended as a result of a conviction of a violation of Code Section 40-6-391 shall not become valid and shall remain suspended until such person submits proof of completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program, provides proof of installation and maintenance of an ignition interlock device for a period of one year coinciding with the issuance of an ignition interlock device limited driving permit as provided in Code Section 40-5-64 unless waived due to financial hardship, and pays the prescribed restoration fee. For purposes of this paragraph, a plea of nolo contendere and all previous accepted pleas of nolo contendere to an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54 within such five-year period of time shall constitute a conviction. For the purposes of this paragraph, a plea of nolo contendere to a charge of violating Code Section 40-6-391 and all prior accepted pleas of nolo contendere within five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained or pleas of nolo contendere were accepted to the date of the current arrest for which a plea of nolo contendere is accepted, shall be considered and counted as convictions; or

   (3) Upon the third conviction of any such offense within five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained to the date of the current arrest for which a conviction is obtained, such person shall be considered a habitual violator, and said license shall be revoked as provided for in paragraph (1) of subsection (a) of Code Section 40-5-62. For purposes of this paragraph, a plea of nolo contendere and all previous accepted pleas of nolo contendere to an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54 within such five-year period shall constitute a conviction. For the purposes of this paragraph, a plea of nolo contendere and all prior accepted pleas of nolo contendere to a charge of violating Code Section 40-6-391 within five years, as measured from the dates of previous arrests for which convictions were obtained or pleas of nolo contendere were accepted to the date of the current arrest for which a plea of nolo contendere is accepted, shall be considered and counted as convictions.

(b) The periods of suspension provided for in this Code section shall begin on the date the person is convicted of an offense listed in Code Section 40-5-54 or of violating Code Section 40-6-391.

(c) In all cases in which the department may return a license to a driver prior to the termination of the full period of suspension, the department may require such tests of driving skill and knowledge as it determines to be proper, and the department's discretion shall be guided by the driver's past driving record and performance, and the driver shall pay the applicable restoration fee. In addition to any other requirement the department may impose, a driver's license suspended as a result of a conviction of a violation of Code Section 40-6-391 shall not become valid, shall remain suspended, and shall not be returned to such driver or otherwise reinstated until such person submits proof of completion of a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program.

(d) (1) Any person convicted of violating subsection (a) of Code Section 40-6-393, relating to homicide by vehicle, or Code Section 40-6-394, relating to serious injury by vehicle, shall have his or her license suspended for a period of three years. Such person shall not be eligible for early reinstatement of said driver's license as provided in this Code section or in Article 4 of this chapter and shall not be eligible for a limited driving permit as provided in Code Section 40-5-64.

   (2) For purposes of this chapter, an accepted plea of nolo contendere to any violation of Code Section 40-6-393 or 40-6-394 shall constitute a conviction.

(e) The driver's license of any person under 21 years of age who is convicted of unlawful possession of alcoholic beverages in violation of Code Section 3-3-23 while operating a motor vehicle may be suspended for a period of not less than 120 days. At the end of 120 days, the person may apply to the department for reinstatement of said driver's license. Such license shall be reinstated only if the person submits proof of completion of an approved DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program and pays a restoration fee of $35.00 or $25.00 when processed by mail. For purposes of this subsection, a sentence under subsection (c) of Code Section 3-3-23.1 shall not be considered a conviction, and the driver's license of such person shall not be suspended, provided that such person completes a DUI Alcohol or Drug Use Risk Reduction Program within 120 days after sentencing.

(f) The driver's license of any person who is convicted of attempting to purchase an alcoholic beverage in violation of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of Code Section 3-3-23 upon the first conviction shall be suspended for a period of six months and upon the second or subsequent conviction shall be suspended for a period of one year. At the end of the period of suspension, the person may apply to the department for reinstatement of his or her driver's license. Such license shall be reinstated upon payment of a restoration fee of $35.00 or $25.00 when processed by mail. For purposes of this subsection, a sentence under subsection (c) of Code Section 3-3-23.1 shall not be considered a conviction, and the driver's license of such person shall not be suspended.

Code 1933, § 68B-312, enacted by Ga. L. 1975, p. 1008, § 1; Ga. L. 1976, p. 1670, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 225, § 4; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 40; Ga. L. 1982, p. 1601, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 1983, p. 3, § 29; Ga. L. 1983, p. 487, § 2; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1000, § 6; Ga. L. 1985, p. 149, § 40; Ga. L. 1985, p. 758, § 7; Ga. L. 1987, p. 1082, § 4; Ga. L. 1989, p. 1698, § 2; Ga. L. 1989, p. 14, § 40; Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 4; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1886, § 3; Ga. L. 1992, p. 779, § 20; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2564, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2746, § 2; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2785, §§ 9, 10; Ga. L. 1993, p. 940, § 5; Ga. L. 1994, p. 730, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 760, § 16; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1085, § 3; Ga. L. 2000, p. 951, §§ 5-24, 5-25; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1457, § 2; Ga. L. 2001, p. 208, §§ 2-3, 3-3; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 17-15/HB 501; Ga. L. 2006, p. 449, § 9/HB 1253; Ga. L. 2007, p. 47, § 40/SB 103; Ga. L. 2010, p. 932, § 13/HB 396; Ga. L. 2011, p. 355, § 7/HB 269; Ga. L. 2013, p. 878, § 1/HB 407.