DUI PENALTIES

CONSEQUENCES FOR VARIOUS OFFENSES

If you have been charged with drunk driving in the state of Washington, the penalties you face will be based on your blood alcohol concentration (BAC), whether it is a first or subsequent offense, whether a minor was in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and whether you caused an accident involving property damage, bodily injury, or the death of another. As in most states, DUI penalties in Washington have been made very harsh in an effort to safeguard other drivers and pedestrians. In any type of DUI charge in Seattle, Kent, and Renton, your first action should be to get the professional advice of a Seattle DUI lawyer. At Lewis & Laws, PLLC, our attorneys are proficient in defending all types of DUI cases.

FIRST OFFENSE PENALTIES

In a first DUI offense, if your BAC was below .15, the penalties you face include jail time of 24 hours up to one year or electronic home monitoring of up to 15 days, fines of $865 up to $5,000, a 90-day license suspension, the installation and use of an ignition interlock device, and potential drug or alcohol education. If your BAC was .15 or above, your jail sentence will be 2 days up to one year or 30 days of electronic home monitoring, fines starting at $1120 up to $5,000, and a one-year license suspension. 60 days will be added to any ignition interlock device order if a minor under the age of 16 was present in your vehicle at the time of the DUI.

SECOND OFFENSE PENALTIES

Ina second DUI conviction, penalties include jail time of 30 days to one year or 60 days of mandatory electronic home monitoring, fines of $1120 up to $5,000, a 2-year license suspension, ignition interlock device, and possible drug and alcohol education program. If your BAC registered .15 or above, your jail time starts at 45 days to a year, electronic home monitoring extends to 90 days, fines start at $1545 up to $5.000, and your license suspension may be up to 900 days.

THIRD OFFENSE PENALTIES

A third DUI conviction is punishable by 90 days up to one year in jail or 120 days of mandatory electronic home monitoring, fines of $1970 to $5,000, a 3-year license suspension, ignition interlock device, and drug or alcohol education. For a BAC of .15 or higher, the jail sentence starts at 120 days up to one year, mandatory electronic home monitoring is for 150 days, fines start at $2820 up to $5,000, and the license suspension is raised to 4 years.

DON'T DELAY IN GETTING HELP FROM A SEATTLE DUI ATTORNEY!

In the face of such serious penalties, it is to your advantage to have an attorney who is fully versed in DUI defense at your side as early as possible. Our firm has the know how, experience, and resources to make a difference in the outcome of your case. Contact our firm for aggressive legal representation in any DUI case!