Britney Spears Could Get Her License Suspended After Startling DUI Arrest, Criminal Defense Attorney Claims

Britney Spears’ run-in with the law isn’t over quite yet.

According to Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Christopher Chaney, the pop star, 44, could face a slew of charges and consequences following her DUI arrest, including having her license revoked.

“If the case is filed as a first-offense misdemeanor DUI (no injuries involved and no prior DUI history), potential penalties include fines, DUI education classes, probation, and some form of driver’s license suspension or restriction through the DMV,” Chaney exclusively told OK!. “Penalties can increase if there were any aggravating factors, such as high blood alcohol levels, refusal of testing, prior DUIs, or reckless driving, none of which appear to be present in this case.”

Spears was arrested on Wednesday, March 4, in Ventura County, Calif., after police officers noticed her swerving "in and out of lanes" and "speeding.” An unknown substance was also found in her vehicle.

After the musician was pulled over, she was “immediately” taken to the hospital to have her blood alcohol content tested. The reading was reportedly .06, with the legal limit in California being .08.

Spears was booked at 3:02 a.m. on Thursday morning and released around 6:00 a.m. She is expected to appear in court on May 4.

According to Chaney, prosecutors will be reviewing the police reports and BAC results to decide whether to formally file charges ahead of her hearing.

“At the same time, the California DMV starts its own administrative process that can lead to a license suspension,” the expert added. “To challenge the suspension, you have to request a DMV hearing within 10 days, so that will likely be the first thing her legal team does. That will also give her team early access to police reports and video of the incident well before her first court appearance and allow them to begin formulating her defense.”

The first court appearance will be the arraignment, where potential charges and pleas are read aloud.

“Given the type of offense this is, it is unlikely, and not at all uncommon, that Britney will not be present for that hearing,” Chaney revealed.

The attorney also found it unlikely that Spears — who was freed from her conservatorship in November 2021 — will be prevented from controlling her personal or financial affairs post-arrest.

“A single DUI arrest by itself would not automatically affect Spears’ ability to manage her personal or financial affairs,” Chaney explained. “Conservatorships in California require evidence that a person cannot manage their personal care or financial affairs due to a mental or physical condition. Her past conservatorship was based on a specific court finding that she required that level of oversight at the time. A new legal issue like a DUI would generally be handled within the criminal court system, not through conservatorship law.”

Despite Spears’ past conservatorship, Chaney does not believe a single misdemeanor would “trigger any automatic review of her personal autonomy or finances.” However, her DUI may be brought up in the future if there is ever a future petition to re-establish a conservatorship, the lawyer maintained.