DUI laws vary across all 50 states, as do the punishments for conviction. The penalties in Florida look very different from those in California or Massachusetts. If you're facing a charge of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may be served with the following penalties.

First-Time Offense

A first-time DUI conviction comes with the lightest consequences. The court will assume the first offense is a mistake you can easily prevent from happening again. Therefore, there it comes with no mandatory minimum jail time. You could, however, get 6 months for a standard DUI charge or 9 months if your blood alcohol content (BAC) was .15% or higher (or you drove with a minor). You may even receive 1 to 5 years in prison if another person received "serious bodily injury" during a collision. In addition, you could face the following:

  • Probation for less than a year
  • 50 hours of community service
  • Driver license suspension from 6 months to 1 year
  • Installation of an ignition interlock device (IID) in your car
  • Vehicle impoundment for 10 days

Second-Time Offense

Penalties for subsequent DUI offenses tend to be severe. Jail time, for example, will increase if your last DUI was within the previous five years. A standard, second-time DUI charge could put you in jail for 9 months at the very least. On the other end of the scale, you could be imprisoned for 1-5 years, depending on the circumstances of your arrest. Your punishments could also include:

  • Fines from $1,000-$5,000
  • Driver license revocation for 5 years
  • Installation of an IID for at least 1 year
  • Vehicle impoundment for 30 days

Third-Time Offense

A third DUI will incur even higher penalties. If your last conviction was more than 10 years ago, a third DUI would still be a misdemeanor, and you would probably face many of the above punishments. However, if your last DUI was less than a decade ago, you will be charged with a felony. You could serve up to 5 years in state prison on top of a mandatory 30-day jail sentence. Also, some of the following penalties could be imposed:

  • Fines from $2,000-$5,000
  • Minimum 10-year driver license revocation
  • Installation of an IID for 2 years after driver license reinstatement
  • Vehicle impoundment for 90 days

Even misdemeanors can cause serious financial harm to an individual. Call our top-rated criminal defense attorneys for help with your case. Our aggressive Florida criminal defense lawyers can defend your rights as a driver. We have more than 150 years of collective experience defending people in tough situations.

Contact us at (888) 484-5057 or fill out our online form for a free case consultation. Trust your defense to us.