PENALTIES

First offender

• Possible penalties
  Up to six months jail
  (Mandatory minimum 48 hours of custody
  or non jail alternative)
• Up to $1000 fine
  (Assessments increase fine up to $2500 or more)
• DUI alcohol school of six weeks to nine months
• Denial of any restricted license
  (meaning, if the DMV suspends your license
  for four to ten months, you can't drive and
  can't get a restricted license to drive to work)
• Installation of ignition interlock device
  (you must blow into it before starting the car)
• Informal probation (no probation officer) or
  formal probation (probation officer)
• Total prohibition of all drinking (no social drinking)
• Prohibition of your being in any location selling
  alcohol (bars)

Special penalties

• Speeding 60 days jail
  if 20+ over limit
• .15% or higher alcohol
  more jail, fine, longer school
• .20% or higher alcohol
  10 month license suspension
  nine month DUI school
  more custody, higher fine
• Child under 14 yrs old in car
  two days jail for each child
• Accident no injuries
  more custody, fines, school
• Accident with injuries
  Minimum 5 to 90 days jail

 

Multiple offenders

Second offenders
(prior DUI arrest within 10 years):

• Minimum 4 to 10 days jail to one year jail
• 18 to 30 month alcohol school
• Two year license suspension
• Ignition interlock

Third offenders
(two prior DUI arrests within 10 years)

• Minimum 120 days jail, up to one year jail
• 18 to 30 month alcohol school
• Three year license revocation

Fourth offenders
(three prior DUI arrests with 10 years)

• Possible felony
• Minimum 180 days jail
• Up to one year jail if misdemeanor
  or three years state prison if felony
• 18 to 30 month alcohol school
• Four year license revocation

TIP: One important reason to have an attorney handle a case is that even if you are successful in getting your court case dismissed, the DMV still may proceed against you. If you fail to either set your DMV hearing within the 10 day period or lose the DMV hearing, you may have the following terrible situation: even though your court case was dismissed, your license is suspended by the DMV, and to get your license back, you must enroll in and successfully complete the DUI school program. Worse yet, if, in the next 10 years, you are arrested for a second DUI, the DMV can suspend your license for two years, even though the courts will treat the second arrest as a first offense. However, there is a special procedure in court to assure that the DMV cannot proceed against your license through a process of being found factually not guilty. The moral of the story: retain an attorney.