The State Department of Motor Vehicles will issue new regulations that will give New York among the toughest protections in the nation against drivers who persistently drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Under current law, drivers who are convicted of several alcohol or drug related driving offenses cannot permanently lose their licenses.

These new regulations strengthen DMV's ability to keep dangerous drivers off the road for good.

The regulations call for:

•Lifetime Record Review by DMV
DMV will be able to review the lifetime record of all drivers who apply to have a license reinstated after a revocation.
•Truly Permanent License Revocation for Persistently Drunk & Dangerous Drivers
After conducting a lifetime record review, DMV will deny any application for reinstatement of a license after revocation if the applicant has:
- Five or more alcohol or drug related driving convictions in his or her lifetime
or
- Three or more alcohol or drug related driving convictions in the last 25 years plus at least one other serious driving offense during that period. A serious driving offense includes: a fatal crash, a driving-related penal law conviction, an accumulation of 20 or more points assessed for driving violations within the last 25 years, or having two or more driving convictions each worth five points or higher.
•?Delayed Re-Licensing, Driving Restrictions, & Interlocks for Other Drivers with Repeated Alcohol- or Drug-Related Driving Convictions
For those drivers seeking reinstatement of a license after revocation who have three or four alcohol or drug related convictions but no serious driving offense in the last 25 years, DMV will:
- Deny their applications for five years beyond their statutory revocation period if the applicant's license was revoked for an alcohol or drug related offense; or two additional years if the applicant's license was revoked for a reason other than an alcohol or drug related offense;
- Restore the applicant's license after that additional period as a "restricted" license limiting the applicant's driving to, for example, travel to and from work or medical visits; and
- For those drivers whose revocations stem from an alcohol-related offense, require an interlock on the vehicle driven by the applicant for five years.
•End the Reduction of Mandatory Suspension or Revocation Periods

Currently, repeat drunk drivers whose licenses have been revoked or suspended for six months or a year can nevertheless get their full driving privileges back in as little as seven weeks by completing DMV's Drinking Driver Program. DMV's new regulations will ensure that those drivers cannot obtain their driving privileges until their full term of suspension or revocation has ended.