Federal 49 CFR 383.51 mandates a minimum one-year CDL disqualification on any first DUI conviction, whether in a commercial or personal vehicle. If the DUI occurred while transporting hazardous materials requiring placarding, disqualification jumps to three years. There is no hardship permit or work exception during this period under federal law. The chicagoduilawyer.net defense focus is preventing conviction on the first CDL DUI at all costs: unlike standard drivers, court supervision does NOT preserve a CDL because federal law counts supervision as a conviction for CDL purposes. Every strategic decision on a CDL case flows from that federal preemption reality.
