“How would the FAA find out about my DUI?” This is a common aviation law question we receive regularly from student pilots filling out the medical application for the first time, to veteran pilots who have held licenses and certificates for years. Each time a pilot files a medical application, the pilot authorizes the FAA to conduct a check on the National Driver Register (NDR). The NDR maintains information on individuals whose privilege to operate a motor vehicle has been revoked, suspended, canceled or denied or who have been convicted of serious traffic-related offenses, including DUI. The FAA may identify and discover infractions or convictions based on their search. Another way in which the FAA may discover facts regarding a pilot is if an employee, a spouse, or a neighbor decides to call the FAA hotline. Under any circumstances, the FAA will investigate these matters thoroughly and determine not only if these allegations are true but also the severity of the circumstances as well.
Over the years, we have handled matters in which clients believed the FAA would not discover an event. In many cases, the FAA does, in fact, discover the events and upon discovery impose potentially harsh consequences. An aviation attorney can place the pilot in the best position to receive their medical certificate and deal with enforcement action that may result in not disclosing a DUI event. Contact us today for a free consultation on your situation.