So you want an occupational driver's license?
Getting an occupational driver's license in Harris County, Texas is not as straight forward as one would think. For starters, a person will need to get SR-22 insurance. Some courts even require this insurance to be pre-paid for the duration of the suspension. Also, your DWI surcharges must be up to date. Most intrusive is the fact that the court will likely require the interlock device to be installed on your vehicle for most of the time that you will need a suspension. If you need an occupational driver's license because of a second DWI your first one must not have been five years before your last one. If this is the case, you will be precluded from getting any driver's license for one year. In other words, there will be no driving by someone that gets two DWI convictions within five years of each other. Each court has their unique conditions so it is best to find out as much information as you can before requesting the license. You may decide not to apply for one after educating yourself on all the requirements.
While most petiitions for an occupational driver's license are filed in the Civil Courts they are typically heard by the Criminal Court that handled the DWI.