Charged With a First Offense DUI?
A Florida law firm that fights for your rights
Being arrested for a DUI in Florida can be a frightening and confusing experience. A conviction can have a significant impact on your life and your future. It’s important to take DUI charges seriously and hire an experienced DUI attorney to represent you. The Clay County DUI lawyers at Aguilar & Sieron, P.A. have been helping people in your situation for three decades.
Even though this is your first offense, you are still facing very serious consequences. These include:
Administrative license suspension
If you are arrested for driving with a BAC of .08% or more, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) will suspend your license for 180 days. However, after 30 days you can apply for a “hardship” license that allows you to drive to and from work, school, church and medical appointments only.
If you refused to take a chemical test, that is considered a violation of the state’s “implied consent” law, and your license can be suspended for a year. You can apply for a hardship license after 90 days.
These are administrative suspension that apply even if you are not convicted on a DUI charge.
Jail time
There is no mandatory minimum for a first offense DUI conviction. But you could still be facing jail time, depending on the circumstances of your case. The potential jail terms include:
- six months for a standard DUI
- nine months if you had a BAC of .15% or more
- nine months if you had a passenger under 18 years old when arrested
- one year if there was an accident involving property damage or minor injuries
- five years if there was an accident involving serious bodily injury.
Fines
Most first-offense DUIs carry a fine between $500 to $1000. But the range is $1000 to $2000 if you had a BAC of .15% or more or if you had a passenger under 18 years old when arrested.
Probation
A conviction of a first offense DUI in Florida comes with one year of probation. If you violate the terms of probation, you could be sent to jail.
Community service
As a condition of probation, people convicted of a first-offense DUI must complete at least 50 hours of community service.
License suspension
If convicted of a first-offense DUI, your license could be suspended from six months to one year. This suspension is separate from the administrative suspension issued by the DHSMV.
Ignition interlock devices (IID)
These are not required for most first-offense DUIs. But if you had a BAC of .08% or more, the judge can decide to require that an IID be installed in your vehicle for six months. If you had a BAC of 15% or more, or had a passenger who was under 18 years old when you were arrested, an IID is mandatory for six months.
Vehicle impoundment
If convicted of a first-offense DUI, your vehicle can be impounded for ten days. This is separate from any jail time that you serve.
If you’ve been arrested for a first-offense DUI, contact us as soon as possible. We can review the details of your case and explain your options to help you decide the best course of action to take. The state has already started building their case against you, so don’t delay. Learn more about how we can help. You can reach us 24 hours a day, 7 days week.