What are the penalties for DC drunk driving convictions?

There are many different factors involved in each individual case. A definitive answer to this question is not simple. While the particulars of cases and penalties differ from court to court, a conviction for a first offense (with no “enhancements”) will include the following penalties:

1. A fine between $300 to $1000
2. 6 months license revocation
3. A jail sentence of up to 90 days.
4. First-time offenders may sometimes be offered a plea bargain and opt to take DWI/DUI Diversion Programs to reduce a sentence or dismiss charges. Pretrial Diversion Program: Upon successful completion of this program, the government will dismiss the charges against you.  However, those who caused an accident, refused to submit to testing, had a BAC greater than .20%, or had prior traffic-alcohol offenses are not eligible for the program.

Traffic Alcohol Program: If this is your first offense and you are not otherwise eligible for the Pretrial Diversion Program, the court may suspend any imposed jail sentence for probation with the condition that you complete this program.  There are numerous options in the DC area that satisfy this program requirement.

A conviction for a second offense will receive:

1. A fine between $1000 and $5000
2. 1 year license revocation
3. A jail sentence between 5 days and 1year.

A conviction for a third DWI/DUI offense will receive:

1. A fine between $2000 and $10000
2. 2 year license revocation
3. A jail sentence between 10 days and 1 year.

OWI offenses carry the lightest penalties.  The first offense will receive:

1. A fine between $1000 and $5000
2. A jail sentence of up to 30 days.

A second offense will receive:

1. A fine between $1000 and $5000
2. A jail sentence of between 5 days and 1 year

A third or subsequent offense receives:

1. A fine between $2000 to $10000
2. A jail sentence between 10 days and 1 year

First offense underage drinking and driving charges will not receive mandatory jail time, but will incur a $300 fine and license revocation for at least 6 months.

Penalties for a DWI conviction vary depending on a range of circumstances and increase if a driver has been previously convicted of an alcohol related driving offense within the last 15 years.  If a driver is found to have a blood alcohol content of .20-.25, he or she will be imprisoned for a mandatory minimum of five days, while a blood alcohol content above .25 carries a mandatory minimum jail sentence of an additional 10 days.  These minimum jail sentence enhancements increase for second or subsequent offenses.  Other consequences may include the lifetime loss of the ability to obtain a commercial driver’s license, community service, AA meetings or driver education courses, increased auto insurance premiums, and electronic monitoring or ignition interlock devices.

Related Questions:

1. What is an enhanced penalty for a DC DUI?
2. How much does a DC DUI lawyer cost?
3. What alcohol related offense can I be charged with?
4. Do I have a right to a DC DUI lawyer while taking a field sobriety test?