ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York officials have issued regulations to prevent repeat drunken drivers from getting their licenses back.
Under the new rule, the Department of Motor Vehicles will review the lifetime records of drivers seeking reinstatement after a revocation and deny any that have five or more alcohol- or drug-related driving convictions.
The DMV is also supposed to deny re-licensing for anyone with three or more such convictions and at least one serious driving offense within the last 25 years.
The agency says drunken drivers whose licenses have been revoked or suspended for six months will no longer be able to get privileges back in seven weeks by completing an education program.
The changes are expected to affect 20,000 drivers this year.
The regulations were released Tuesday.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
