The impact of a DUI on real estate agents

hoku • April 24, 2020

Professional impacts of a DUI conviction are separate from what happens when you go to court. What your professional association decides to do is up to it and its board. This can vary from profession to profession, and it seems that real estate agents may get the worst of it in Hawaii.  

The law already puts strict penalties in place for drinking and driving. Even for a first-time conviction, you will lose your driver’s license for at least a year. However, the commission that manages the licensing of real estate agents will  apply additional punishments , according to Honolulu Civil Beat.  

The bulletin announcement  

One of the worst penalties the commission will impose on you is publishing your name in the bulletin as a criminal offender. Since most agents in the state read the bulletin, this becomes big news fast in the community. Everyone will be aware of your conviction, which can turn a simple mistake into a nightmare. It labels you in a way that can be very damaging to your reputation within the industry.  

The worst part of this is that this practice seems to be unique to real estate. Other industries that require professional licensing do not publish information in this way so that everyone becomes aware of it so easily.  

Financial penalty  

The commission will also make you pay fines in addition to any the court imposes on you. While they do not refer to it as a fine to avoid double jeopardy issues, this penalty can cost you about $500, but there is a potential for the commission to assess a penalty up to $2,000, depending on the situation.  

Mixed feelings  

Some people think the  additional financial penalties  and the very public publishing of the conviction go beyond reasonable sanctions for a DUI offense. They feel it is more damaging than the actual conviction. However, others feel a DUI is such a severe offense that it requires strict punishment. After all, real estate agents do spend a lot of time driving and often drive clients, so they must be reliable when it comes to being safe on the road.  

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