DUI on Your Record: How Long It Lasts and Removal Options

What Shows on Your Criminal Record

A DUI conviction becomes part of your permanent criminal record in Colorado. Background checks by employers, landlords, and licensing boards will show this conviction.

However, the impact isn't always as severe as you might think. Many employers consider the circumstances of the case, how long ago it occurred, and what you've done since. A strong attorney can help you understand how to present your case to potential employers and navigate disclosure requirements.

The type of charge also matters. A DUI reduced to reckless driving appears very differently on your record than a DUI conviction. Prosecutors sometimes agree to reduce charges when defense attorneys identify weaknesses in the evidence—problems with the traffic stop, issues with test administration, or constitutional violations during the arrest.

More importantly, an experienced DUI attorney works to avoid conviction altogether. Charges can be reduced, dismissed, or beaten at trial—and that's where having aggressive legal representation from the start matters most. The earlier an attorney gets involved, the more opportunities exist to challenge evidence before the state's case becomes stronger.

What Shows on Your Driving Record

Your DMV driving record shows a DUI for 10 years. During this time, you'll likely see increased insurance rates and may need to file an SR-22 for a few years.

Insurance companies treat DUI convictions seriously, often tripling or quadrupling premiums. The SR-22 filing requirement typically lasts three years, during which your insurance company must notify the DMV if your coverage lapses. This creates additional financial pressure on top of court fines and legal costs.

After 10 years, the conviction drops off your driving record, which can help lower insurance costs back toward normal rates. Your criminal record still shows the conviction, but insurance companies primarily look at your driving record when setting premiums.

But again, the best outcome is avoiding a conviction in the first place through strong defense strategies that challenge the evidence against you. Even a reduction from DUI to a lesser charge can significantly reduce insurance impacts and keep your driving record cleaner.

Your Options for Record Removal

Adult DUI convictions generally cannot be expunged in Colorado. But that doesn't mean you're without options.

If You Haven't Been Convicted Yet: This is where an attorney makes the biggest difference. Charges can be dismissed, reduced to lesser offenses, or won at trial. Keeping a DUI conviction off your record entirely is always the best strategy—and it's possible with the right defense.

If Charges Were Dismissed: Arrest records from dismissed cases can often be sealed, which removes them from public view. This means background checks won't show the arrest, and you can legally state you weren't convicted.

If You Were Convicted as a Juvenile: Juvenile DUI records may be eligible for expungement after you turn 21, giving you a fresh start as an adult.

The reality is that preventing a conviction delivers better results than trying to remove one later. That's why early legal intervention matters so much.

How an Attorney Protects Your Record

The most effective way to keep your record clean is to fight the DUI charge aggressively from the beginning. An experienced attorney can:

• Challenge the legality of the traffic stop

• Question the accuracy of breath and blood tests

• Identify procedural errors that violated your rights

• Negotiate with prosecutors for reduced charges or dismissals

• Build a trial defense that creates reasonable doubt

These strategies work best when applied early, before prosecutors solidify their case. Waiting makes it harder to preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and challenge weak points in the state's case.

NewbergerKing Law has successfully defended clients facing DUI charges by finding weaknesses in the prosecution's evidence and protecting clients from permanent criminal records.