Alcohol-related road fatalities have been continuously on the rise in each and every year. To stop the growing record, the state of Washington provides DUI laws that target drivers who are under the influence of intoxicants such as alcohol and drugs. To measure your level of toxicity, you will be asked to undergo a blood alcohol content (BAC) test upon arrest wherein a result of .08% or higher is considered illegal. If you are convicted of DUI, it will show on your driving record for seven years at which consequent offense after the washout period is considered to be your first DUI offense.

DUI Arrests in Washington

As mentioned earlier, the arresting officer will ask you to submit to a BAC test upon arrest. While you have the option not to be examined, doing so can only aggravate your DUI case. Your refusal can be used against you in the courts and will cause your license to be automatically suspended. For these reasons, you will need the legal advice of a DUI lawyer before making your decision.

Like most states, your DUI arrest in Washington can trigger two separate cases: one with the criminal courts, and another in the Department of Licensing. Both cases can impose license suspension. To save your right to drive freely on public roads, you will need to request a hearing within 30 days after your arrest. An administrative hearing with the Department of Licensing costs $100, which you will have to cover. A DUI arrest should not, in any way, be underestimated. Hiring a competent DUI lawyer will increase your chance of winning your case, or at least lessen the charges.

Drunk driving has been a serious problem all throughout the state of Washington. If a police officer stops you for DUI in Seattle, you need to immediately contact a DUI lawyer as there are certain DUI rules that are uniquely created by the Seattle Municipal Court for their area alone.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

If this is your first DUI conviction in the state of Washington, you can expect to face the following penalties and punishments:

• Imprisonment of 1 day up to 1 year
• Payment of fines worth $823 up to $5,000
• Probation of up to 5 years
• Undergo alcohol evaluation and possible treatment program
• Possible ignition interlock device
• Possible 15-day electronic home monitoring in place of jail time

Like most states, repeat DUI offenses in Washington carry tougher consequences.

License Suspensions for Washington DUI

Apart from facing jail time, paying substantial fines, being on probation, a DUI conviction will also result to having your license suspended in the following manner:

• First offenders- 90 days
• Second offenders- 2 years
• Third offenders- 3 years

If you refuse to take a BAC test upon request, you can expect to have your license automatically suspended for an entire year. On the other hand, you will be given a probationary license after you have served your suspension. This temporary license will expire on a five-year period.

Insurance Consequences

Following your DUI conviction in Washington, your insurance company may now consider you as a high risk driver. For this reason, your policy provider may either drop your coverage entirely or hugely increase your insurance rates. In one way or the other, you will definitely need to have your car insured before your driver’s license will be reinstated.

If you have just been pulled over for a DUI suspicion in Virginia, it is absolutely critical to learn the state DUI laws to protect your freedom as well as your driving privilege. You can be arrested for DUI in one of two theories, which include your BAC and your manner of driving. A blood alcohol content (BAC) test will be conducted upon your arrest to determine the amount of alcohol that is present in your system. If your BAC is at .08% or higher, your DUI arrest can lead to DUI conviction in Virginia. Also, a police officer can arrest you based on your manner of driving. That is, if you appear to be driving dangerously or impaired due to alcohol intake, the arresting officer can stop you and may require you to perform a series of field sobriety test.

DUI Arrests in Virginia

Upon your DUI arrest in Virginia, you will automatically face a seven-day license suspension wherein you will face an administrative hearing in the Department of Motor Vehicles. Also, you can expect to face a criminal courts case where the majority of your consequences are sentenced. The courts will define your jail time, fines, and rehabilitation classes, among several other charges as a result of your DUI arrest. Nevertheless, you can still apply for a restricted license to enable you to drive to and from work despite having a DUI on your driving record. The judge in your court case will decide whether or not you are eligible for a restricted license. Apparently, you will need the help of an experienced DUI lawyer to help you save your driving privilege.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

The penalties and punishments for subsequent DUI convictions in Virginia are severe than a first time offense. Tougher charges are also given to drivers whose BAC results are extremely beyond the legal limit. Moreover, the same penalties apply to minor drivers who are caught driving under the influence of alcohol. Nonetheless, the right DUI lawyer can make the big difference between imprisonment and freedom.  If this is your first time DUI offense, you can expect to face the following charges:

• Imprisonment of up to 1 year
• Payment of fines worth $2,500
• Attend mandatory alcohol safety action program, with $300 fee
• Class 1 misdemeanor charge

License Suspensions for California DUI

Apart from paying hefty fines and serving jail time, a DUI conviction in Virginia is also a ground to have your license suspended. Typical times for license suspension are as follows:

• First offenders- 1 year
• Second offenders- 3 years
• Third offenders- 3 years

Moreover, if you refuse to submit to a BAC test upon the arrest, you can expect to serve an additional one year license suspension on top of the outlined duration stated above. If you want to apply for a provisional license so as to enable you to drive while serving your suspension time, you are allowed to petition the court. However, you have to keep in mind that the court does not necessarily have to grant your request. For this reason, being represented by a DUI lawyer will increase your chance for a temporary license.

Insurance Consequences

Generally, a DUI conviction will affect your auto insurance in one of two ways. It could be that your insurance provider will drop your existing coverage, or drastically increase your insurance premiums. Since you will be required to submit a proof of auto insurance before you can get your license back, you will definitely have to abide to any of the given insurance changes. Apparently, if you are dropped, you will need to find a new carrier.

You can end up with a DUI arrest in Vermont by one of two ways. First, you can be arrested for DUI by a mere judgment from the officer. If he sees that your driving is impaired in reference to your performance on field sobriety test, or presence of physical signs and symptoms of alcohol intake, then he has enough ground to charge you with DUI. These elements can be argued as circumstantial evidence of impairment for Vermont’s DUI laws.

The second theory for DUI is based on your BAC. Upon the arrest, the officer will ask you to undergo blood alcohol content (BAC) test wherein .08% or higher result can trigger full arrest and conviction. It is an absolute law in Vermont that it is illegal to drive on their public roads with such BAC, even if you are driving is not at all impaired.

DUI Arrest in Vermont

With a DUI arrest in Vermont, you will be facing two separate cases and rendering you different penalties from each authority. First, you will enter the justice system and will be required to appear in all court proceedings. The trial proceedings will ultimately determine the consequences of your crime, including jail time and possible fines. At this point, you should consider yourself getting an attorney who specialized in handling DUI cases to bring your penalties to the minimum level.

Separately, you will face administrative case with Vermont Department of Motor Vehicle. They have both pre-conviction administrative and post-conviction court-ordered with a mandatory punishment depending on the number of times the offense has been committed. You might want to request for hearing with the office a few days after your arrest, otherwise you will have your license suspended automatically. Nevertheless, a lawyer can help you file for the request of hearing and air your side so as to save your driving privilege.

Vermont DUI law provides driver’s license sanctions and increased criminal punishment for drivers who do not submit for a chemical test following a lawful arrest from the police officer.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

Drivers who are convicted by DUI in Vermont for the first time are expected to face the following penalties and punishments:

• Potential jail time (or jail alternatives, where a good Vermont DUI defense attorney is involved)
• Payment of fines worth up to $750
• Payment to Victim’s Restitution Fund
• Health Department Laboratory Services Special Fund payment of $6

• Public Defenders’ Special Fund payment of $50
• Drunk Driving Law Enforcement Fund payment of $50
• Attend alcohol and driver’ education with cost of $300
• Undergo alcohol assessment

Vermont DUI offenses are “priorable”, meaning there is no washout period. The current charge is treated as a subsequent offense if you have been convicted of a similar violation before, regardless of the time period when it was committed. Moreover, second time offenders face stricter penalties, while a third Vermont DUI is considered a felony.

License Suspension for Vermont DUI

License suspension for a Vermont DUI offense has more stringent penalties than other states wherein typical suspension times are as follows:

• First offenders – 90 days
• Second offenders – 18 months
• Third offenders – lifetime

Furthermore, refusal to undergo a BAC test upon request will also give you an additional six months license suspension.

At the reinstatement of your license, you will have to pay $80. You will also be asked to use an ignition interlock device for a period of time after your suspension to check on your breath for alcohol content before allowing your car to start.

Insurance Consequence

With your DUI conviction, there is one more scenario that you will be facing before having your license renewed– your insurance coverage. Your insurance carrier may either cancel your coverage, or drastically increase your insurance rates. Even if you would desire to shift to a new insurance provider, you will still have to settle the same insurance issue as a result of your DUI conviction in Vermont.

Driving under the influence (DUI) is a punishable criminal offense in Utah. It is illegal to operate or to be in actual physical control of a vehicle when your blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08% or greater. Being an implied consent state, drivers knowingly agree to submit to a BAC test when being called to stop by an officer for a DUI suspicion. However, an arrest can still be made against you even if your BAC is less than .08% as long as the officer sees you driving unsafe or impaired.

DUI Arrests in Utah

A BAC test after you have been called to pull over by an officer may not be mandatory, but refusal to submit to such test will only presume your guilt and doing so will automatically have your driver’s license suspended, regardless how your court proceedings turn out. On the other hand, if your BAC is at .08% or higher you will end up in an arrest in Utah. At this point, you have to hire a competent lawyer who is familiar with Utah DUI laws to help you file for a hearing with Driver License Division (DLD). You are only given 10 days to request for this hearing, otherwise your license will be automatically be suspended by default.

Separately, a DUI arrest also puts you in another case, which is with the criminal court. In the state of Utah and the complexities of its DUI laws, an experienced lawyer is everything that you need to help you pull through your DUI case.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offender

If you are convicted for DUI in Utah, you can expect to face the following punishments:

• Imprisonment of 48 hours up to six months
• Payment of fines worth $700, plus court costs

• “Prime for Life” DUI class
• Home confinement
• Class B misdemeanor conviction
• Undergo alcohol screening and assessment
• Possible ignition interlock
• Possible car impoundment

In addition, your DUI arrest requires you to attend two court cases. The first will be your arraignment where you raise your guilty or not guilty plea. Also, a pre-trial conference will be conducted wherein you can work on the possibility of settlement and perhaps consider the prosecutor’s first plea-bargain offer. However, if you do not consider bargaining, a later date will be scheduled.

License Suspensions for Utah DUI

In addition to the criminal penalties imposed on your DUI conviction, the DLD also takes administrative action by suspending your driver’s license, as follows:

• First offenders – 90 days
• Second offenders – 6 months to 1 year
• Third offenders – 1 year

The DLD even stamps heavier punishments if they feel that you are a liability to the public roads of Utah. Also, you will be given an alcohol probation license for up to three years after having your license back. This means that you cannot drive with any alcohol in your system for as long as the probation stands.

Insurance Consequences

Now that you are ready to get your license back after your DUI conviction, you still have to face another problem – your insurance coverage. Most car insurance companies will either increase DUI offender’s rates high, or totally cancel the existing coverage.  Apparently, since you are now considered to be a high risk driver, your DUI conviction will now prevent you from buying cheaper policy.

Driving under the influence of either alcohol or a controlled substance is a very serious offense all throughout the United States. The hazards include not only killing yourself and damaging properties, but harming innocent bystanders as well. To stop the growing number of road fatalities caused by drunk driving or driving while intoxicated the Motor Vehicle Departments of most states often suspend licenses for DUI.  Since a driver’s license has become a crucial part of our way of living, taking away your privilege to drive on a public road after a DUI conviction can definitely impact your daily routine. Apparently, having your license revoked greatly affects your ability to go to and from work, school, supermarket, hospital, pharmacies, etc.

Typically, your license can be confiscated even before you are convicted for DUI in one of two cases. First is your refusal to take a blood alcohol content (BAC) test, and second is your refusal to perform a series of field sobriety test, or your failure of both tests. Nevertheless, applying for a hardship license will enable you to drive to and from work despite having your license suspended. You have to take note, though, that you cannot use this license to drive your vehicle for any other reason. Furthermore, the rules and restrictions for a hardship license can vary by state’s MVD.

First time DUI offenders in any state may be well eligible to apply for a hardship license, or sometimes called a restricted license. However, if first time offenders caused injury, death, or serious property damages, applying for this driving permit may be more difficult. Also, subsequent or repeat DUI offenders who have been arrested more than once for a given look-back period may find it extremely difficult to obtain a hardship license. Most states offer a look back period or sometimes called a washout period for DUI convictions wherein previous and current DUI charges are reflected. If a past DUI offender commits the same offense after serving the look-back period, the driver will now be considered as a first time offender.

As previously mentioned, the conditions for eligibility as well as the restrictions stipulated will vary by state. However, you can expect to use the license during certain hours of the day as specified by each state. Being eligible to drive during the specified driving hours enables you to run household or personal errands such as work, school, medical appointments, or a trip to the grocery store.

A hardship license usually allows you to drive for certain or restricted purposes only. If your license has been suspended after a DUI arrest and conviction, hiring a competent lawyer will enable you to obtain the most favorable conditions accompanied by a hardship license.  Not only that your lawyer will help you obtain a hardship license easily, but he will also help you all throughout your cases in the criminal courts and in the MVD. Don’t try to represent yourself in the higher courts. An experienced lawyer can represent you much better!

The state of Texas governs several laws regarding drunk driving. If you are operating the vehicle and appears to be driving impaired, you can be arrested for DWI. The presence of alcohol in your system causes loss of normal use of mental and physical faculties, which exhibits intoxication. A field sobriety test is conducted in order to determine the grounds for the arrest, and possibly a reliable information to be used against you in the courts. Another case is when your blood alcohol content (BAC) is recorded at .08% or higher. This indicates that you are intoxicated and therefore it is illegal for you to be driving in the public roads of Texas.

Moreover, Texas DUI laws also consider you an offender if you and your colleagues are merely caught with an open container of alcohol inside your motor vehicle. You are charged to pay up to $500 in fines for this offense.

DWI Arrests in Texas

If you are stopped, be ready to show your driver’s license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration. You will need to take a blood or breath test. However, the test is not mandatory, but refusal for such test will automatically suspend your right to drive for 180 days. Accordingly, if you fail the test, your license is revoked for 90 days. On this juncture, you are advised to seek the legal help of a Texas attorney and request your hearing. Failure to request a hearing within 15 days from the arrest will stamp the suspension to its full effect.

Your DWI arrest will either be classified as a felony or misdemeanor, depending on the circumstances surrounding it. If you are arrested with a child passenger in your car, you are automatically charged with a felony and your license will be immediately suspended. Meanwhile, an intoxication assault (third degree felony) will be filed against you if you commit the DWI, an by that reason of intoxication causes serious bodily injury to another.   Also, an intoxication manslaughter (second degree felony) will be charged if your are arrested for DWI that causes the death of another by accident or mistake. Each has due punishment for offenders committing each charge.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

A DWI arrest in the state of Texas for the first time has the following punishments:

• Up to $2,000 in fines
• Jail time of 3 to 180 days
• Fee to retain driver’s license- $1,000 to $2,000 per year
• Possible probation for one year

Subsequent offenses call for a stricter penalty.

License Suspension for Texas DWI

With the Automatic License Revocation law enforced in the state of Texas, your right to drive is automatically revoked if your are arrested for DWI. But this revocation can still be turned to a temporary suspension as a result of the court hearing you have requested. Thus, it is imperative to call for a hearing immediately following your arrest to remedy possible problems that you may face.

First time offenders face up to a maximum of one year suspension of their driver’s license, while second offenders lose their right to drive up to two years. However, you are not spared from any more punishments after your have served your suspension as those who are convicted of DWI will still have to pay a yearly fee to keep their driver’s license active. Licenses are only reinstated after you pay for a fee and complete any court-ordered requirements.

Insurance Consequences

Auto insurance is a must-have requirement before you can enjoy the privileges of driving following a DWI conviction in Texas. However, having a DUI on your driving record will only lead to severe insurance difficulties. Your current policy provider may either take one of two actions against your policy. That is, you will risk losing your coverage after your carrier drops you, or allow you to maintain your coverage while paying substantial rates.

In Tennessee, DUI is one of the few crimes for which an individual can be convicted based solely on the opinion of the police officer. It should be noted that in order for the conviction to be awarded, the prosecution must prove beyond reasonable doubt that the person is indeed operating or in control of a motor vehicle on any public road, highway, alley or any other premise generally frequented by the public while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In the state of Tennessee, the definition of drugs also includes those narcotics and other drugs that may be prescribed by your physician but can still impair your driving ability.

The other way you can be arrested for DUI is through the results of your BAC test. A record of .08% or higher of BAC level can charge you guilty for DUI, even in instances where you are driving safely off the roads.

DUI Arrests in Tennessee

After your arrest, you will be asked to submit to a BAC test, however this is not a mandatory step. Nevertheless, refusal to participate in the test will only lead to complicate things as this will be used against you and automatically you will lose your right to drive, whatever the result of your court case will be. Once this happens, you only have 10 business days in which to request an administrative hearing to challenge the revocation of of your driver’s license, or else the officer’s revocation of your license will stand.

A DUI arrest will let you face a day in court. The government must be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt about the instance of your arrest. Thus, it is necessary that you hire the skills and experience of a Tennessee attorney to handle DUI cases such as yours to help you show reasonable doubt about your conviction.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

Punishments for first time DUI offenders are as follows:

l  Imprisonment of 48 hours up to 11 months and 29 days (minimum of 7 days if BAC is .20% or higher)

• Payment of fines worth $350 up to $4,900
• Attend alcohol and drug safety classes
• Render community service in place of jail time
• Undergo alcohol assessment

The look back period for DUI in Tennessee is ten years, this means that if you get 2 DUI offenses in ten years, the latter will be classified as a second offense, and therefore a more stringent consequence will be given to you.

License Suspensions of Tennessee DUI

Other than rendering your jail time and paying fines for your offense, a DUI conviction also takes away your driver’s license in the following manner:

• First offenders – 1 year
• Second offenders – 2 years
• Third offender – 3 to 10 years
• Fourth offenders – 5 years minimum

For first offense, if the revocation of your driver’s license is upheld at your administrative hearing, you may be qualified to apply for a restricted license. To obtain this, you need seek the help of a Tennessee attorney to aid you in getting a certified order from the court where you were convicted. Within 10 days from the receipt of the certified order, you must present the original copy of the order, provide a proof of a valid Tennessee SR22 insurance policy, pass a driver’s exam and pay $67 fee.

Insurance Consequences

Due to the greater risk borne by the company in insuring you after your DUI conviction, they will either drop your coverage or significantly charge you with a higher rate. Even if you desire to look for a new insurer, you will still have to face the same insurance dilemma.

It is possible to be arrested and get a conviction when you hit the South Dakota road while intoxicated with alcohol in your body. Interestingly, DUI for the state of South Dakota defines “vehicle” as referring to not only cars and automobiles, but also covers those driving under the influence even with their bicycles and horses. The same rate of charges and penalties apply for all those arrested for the offense whichever vehicle type you are using.

Just like any other state in the US, you can be charged for DUI in South Dakota in one of two ways. First, you can be arrested from your mere appearance on the scene of the incident. The officer’s judgment will call that you have been driving while impaired with alcohol, and therefore gives you the ground to be arrested. Second, the result test on your blood alcohol content (BAC) alone can get you convicted. According to the state per se laws, it is illegal to drive a vehicle with your BAC at .08% or higher, thus a charge for DUI will be filed against you.

DUI Arrests in South Dakota

South Dakota DUI law does include an implied consent statute. This means that anyone who takes the roads of South Dakota has impliedly consented to a test of  his blood, breath or urine in order to determine the content of alcohol if he is arrested for DUI. If the driver happens to refuse to submit to such testing, implied consent laws carry stricter penalties and this information can be used against you in the courts.

Unlike most states, the DUI arrest in South Dakota will end you up facing only with one case, and that is with the criminal courts. The Department of Motor Vehicle will only be supplementing the court to determine your license suspension. You will need an experienced South Dakota lawyer to ease you up with the complexities of DUI laws of the state and help you get away with the least number of consequences on your conviction.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

DUI fines and penalties in South Dakota depend on the driver’s BAC at the time of his arrest. Expect to face the following consequences on your first time DUI conviction:

• Imprisonment of up to 1 year, with no minimum required
• Payment of fines worth $1,000 up to $5,000
• Attend alcohol education, with $150 fee

The state of South Dakota has a ten-year “washout” or “look-back” period for DUI cases. This means that if the prior DUI offense occurred within ten years from the current arrest, your current arrest will be considered a subsequent offense for you. Subsequent DUI offenses carry stricter charges.

License Suspensions for South Dakota DUI

Apart from the jail time and fines you have to adhere with your DUI conviction, you will also lose your right to drive, as determined by the DMV. License suspension times are as follows:

• First offenders – 30 days
• Second offenders – 1 year
• Third offender – 1 year

Moreover, if you refuse to submit to a BAC testing, the implied consent laws carry a mandatory suspension of your driver’s license, usually from six months to a year. However, you can apply for a work license after you have served a portion of your suspension. But this license only allow you up to attending your work or the court-ordered education classes.

Insurance Consequences

The DUI conviction can mark a spot on your records. With insurance a complete necessity in getting your license back, it will not be an easy thing for you to do particularly having convicted of DUI. Your insurance company may drop from covering you. Shopping for a new insurance coverage will not also be helpful for you. If ever you get lucky to still be admitted for an insurance coverage, ultimately, you will be charged with a higher premium following your DUI conviction.

Under the South Carolina DUI laws, it is unlawful to drive or operate a vehicle if you are under the influence of any intoxicants, such as alcohol or drug, which makes you incapable to drive safely. Such a case can end you up being ticketed for a DUI. However, the arresting officer should have to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, that a person’s mental faculties are significantly impaired due to the ingestion of alcohol that impairs him from operating his motor vehicle safely on the roads.

The state of South Carolina also addresses the blood alcohol content (BAC) level. Those results yielding .08% or higher will have to face steeper penalties than those with lower BAC levels.

DUI Arrests in South Carolina

When you are arrested for DUI, you are asked to submit to a BAC test. However, no one can force you to do it, but the refusal would be tantamount to facing a stricter penalty for your violation. With DUI as a criminal offense, you will surely be facing the criminal courts on your arrest. But having a qualified lawyer will help you defend yourself in a better position and prove that there is doubt in your guilt.

With the need to prove the offender of DUI beyond reasonable doubt, South Carolina requires that videotaping be done for these arrests and breath testing must be done within three hours of the arrest.  The taping must begin when the officer activates the blue lights on his patrol car, and must end after the person is arrested for the offense. This ensures that the officers at the scene are correctly relaying to the court what really happened at the time of the arrest. In the event that videotaping will not be made available because there is no physical way for the officer to do so, the arresting officer is required to submit a sworn affidavit to certify the arrest.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

In addition to going to jail and paying heavy fines as part of the DUI conviction, first time offenders of DUI in the state of South Carolina will end up facing the following penalties:

• Imprisonment of 48 hours up to 30 days
• Fees up to $400, plus fines
• Possible public service in place of jail time
• Attend alcohol and drug safety action program

Stringent penalties are imposed on recurring offenders.

License Suspension for South Carolina DUI

The DUI arrest can get your driving rights in trouble. If your BAC is at .08% or higher, your license will be suspended even if trial has not yet started. But if your BAC has shown to be below the level, your license suspension will only take effect after your conviction. License suspension times for first time offenders are as follows:

• First offenders – 30 days to 1 year
• Second offenders – 60 days to 1 year
• Third offenders – up to 2 years

Nevertheless, the state has available remedy for those students or employees who reside more than one mile from home and cannot take a public transport to attend to it, in which case a restricted license can be applied for.

Insurance Consequences

Getting your license back after the DUI suspension will now be a difficult move for you. Having an insurance policy to cover you will now become a problem since it would entail more risk from the company if they still admit you after your DUI conviction in South Carolina. If you still get lucky to win a coverage with your company, you can expect a significant increase on your insurance premium. This is to mitigate the risk on insuring you despite your history of DUI conviction.

Rhode Island applies more stringent laws and penalties for people arrested of operating under the influence (sometimes called Rhode Island DUI), a term more appropriately used in the state, of either alcohol or drugs. It reflects as a criminal record against you that can affect your employment, your future and your personal freedom. You can be charged of OUI if you are proven guilty based on two instances; first, if you are caught impaired while operating primarily due to the presence of alcohol in your system; second, if your blood alcohol content (BAC) will show .08% or higher in the result.

OUI Arrests in Rhode Island

An arrest for OUI will end you facing two separate charges from different bodies of authority. First, you battle with the criminal courts where jail time, fines, community service and a variety of other punishments are imposed to you. Second, you have to face an administrative hearing against the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicle. This office will determine the suspension of your rights to drive.

In both cases named above, you might want to hire a competent lawyer familiar with the DUI laws of the state of Rhode Island to advise you on the proper steps that you should take regarding the cases filed against you. The DUI attorney will also help you decide whether you need to submit yourself to a BAC test after your arrest, as refusal to do so can lead you to additional criminal penalties.

Basic Consequences for First Time Offenders

Those who are arrested and proven guilty for OUI in the state of Rhode Island for the first time will face the following consequences:

• Payment of fines worth $100 up to $300, depending on your BAC
• Highway Safety Assessment Fee of $500
• Community Service between 10 and 60 hours, at the discretion of the court
• Undergo alcohol assessment
• Possible education requirement with $250 cost
• Possible alcohol treatment requirement with cost

The look-back period for OUI convictions on Rhode Island is five years. In this manner, subsequent OUI offenses within the specified time frame will mean tougher penalties and punishments for repeat offenders.

License Suspension for Rhode Island OUI

With a case also filed by DMV as a result of the OUI arrest, a suspension of your license is also suffered in connection to your conviction, as follows:

• First offenders – 45 days to 6 months
• Second offenders – 1 year
• Third offenders – 2 years

Refusal to take the BAC test will give you at least 90 days of license suspension. Meanwhile, the cost to reinstate your license after the suspension has expired is at $50. Apart from that, an ignition interlock device may be attached on your car when you get to renew your license.

Insurance Consequences

With your license back after your suspension, you might want to have your right to drive renewed. However, it will not be as easy than the first time you did it due to insurance concerns. Your conviction with OUI puts you in a difficult position to have yourself covered again by your insurance company. In worst cases, they will drop you completely, or charge you with a hefty premium for an insurance coverage.