Endangering other innocent people by doing something as selfish as driving drunk is not "just a traffic ticket." That said, I became a felon in FL at age 18 for joyriding a hotel maintenance golf cart into a pond. I was 18 and had zero respect for authority or for my future so I did nothing to help my situation, not realizing just how much this would negatively affect my future choices. I have not been in legal trouble since and was able to get essentially a pardon from the governor. Check with your state just to make sure but thousands of people request it in FL every year and the majority of them seem to be violent offenders so hopefully you look good in comparison. This can be done in FL without a lawyer but it is tedious, so hiring a lawyer is probably worth it if you can afford one.