another CA BRN DUI success story

Oooops · Nov 8, 2014

Hello everyone! I know how agonizing it is for those of us with a prior DUI to continue on through nursing school only to wonder and hope the BRN will allow us to be licensed. This was the only site I was able to turn to for much needed information about how to deal with the situation in applying to the BRN in the most effective manner possible. Without the posts from others outlining what they did I would have had a much harder time of it and had no hope. Today I got the letter telling me that no action against me will be taken and I could proceed on to test and get my license. Phew! So now I want to share with others what I did.

Aug 2 put in application along with the following:

letter of explanation about DUI (dui was 13 years ago)

certified copy of court paper (1 page only because $25 per page)

copy of my 2010 expungement

copy of my probation completion

copy of my MADD completion

copy of my diversion class completion

police form showing my arrest record was purged 5 years prior

Live scan forms

Aug 27 my BRN payment was processed

Aug 30 Sent BRN a letter from my primary doctor saying my medical records and labs over the last 5 years do not indicate any signs of symptoms of alcohol or drug dependency

Sep 3 sent BRN an evaluation report from an alcohol and drug assessment counselor ($200)

Oct 25 recieved letter from BRN telling me they need my transcripts, school roster, and that my file would be deferred to enforcement for the DUI.

Nov 1 graduated from nursing school

November 3 BRN issued letter stating I am free to move forward!

Today I am still waiting for them to release my ATT...but knowing I am allowed to take it is such a relief!!

One thing I expected to do and dreaded was telling my Dean and instructors about my DUI since I believed I would need to get letters from them to the BRN to attest to my character. I fully expected to do this but thought I would get to that after my file went to enforcement and was denied. Fortunately I do not have to do that extra step and I can move on with my license and my life.

I have spent many hours pouring over other posts and sweating it wondering what would happen. This is such a relief! I hope this post can alieve some of the anxiety others with prior DUIs may be going through. It would help if the BRN had better information and guidelines about what will happen and what one needs to do to rectify the situation, but unfortunately they leave you hanging.

I don't know if there was anything in the docs I posted that tipped the scale in my favor. I think I wrote a very heartfelt letter atoning for my DUI and letting them know what had changed in my life and that it would never happen again. The dependency assessment may have been a good thing or maybe a total waste of money. Just try to throw as much evidence as you can at them.

Good luck!

Oh yeah, one other little thing I want to mention. Yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine. He said 8 months ago he got in a fender bender. The police gave him a breathalyzer and he blew a 0.04...under the legal limit...but he still got charged with a DUI!!! He still did all the diversion classes, fines, and everything else. I felt like this was a warning to me not to even have a drop of alcohol unless I am not driving that day. I rarely drink anyway but just in case I ever want wine with dinner in a restaurant...well I won't.  