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DUI Penalties in Florida and How to Handle Them

The DUI laws in Florida aren’t quite as strict as they are in states like Arizona, Georgia, and Alaska. Florida DUI laws tend to fall somewhere in the middle of the pack when it comes to strictness.

But that doesn’t mean getting a DUI in Florida will be a walk in the park. Like most other states, Florida has put serious DUI consequences into place to deter people from driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. As a result, you will face harsh Florida DUI penalties if you’re ever convicted of DUI.

This Florida DUI penalty chart that we’ve put together shows the potential penalties you may face if you’re ever arrested for DUI in the state. It’ll help show you why you should hire a Florida DUI lawyer immediately to handle your DUI case and hopefully help you avoid having to deal with the worst Florida DUI penalties possible.

Check out our Florida DUI penalty chart below.

First Offense

After getting a DUI in Florida for the first time, you’ll face a handful of DUI penalties that will be designed to make you think twice before you ever get behind the wheel after using alcohol and/or drugs again. From fines to jail time to community service, you’ll likely have to deal with a variety of DUI consequences.

The first entry on our Florida DUI penalty chart looks like this:

Fines: $500 to $1,000
Jail Time: 1 day to 6 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 180 days to 1 year
Impounded Vehicle: 10 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: 0 days to 6 months
Other Florida DUI Penalties: 50 hours of community service, required substance abuse counseling, and DUI school

First Offense With a Minor in Vehicle or BAC Level of 0.15

If you get a DUI in Florida for the first time while you have a minor in your vehicle or while your blood alcohol content level is at or above 0.15, you’ll face harsher Florida DUI penalties than usual. Each of the DUI consequences that we just discussed will be ratcheted up to the next level.

This is what these Florida DUI penalties will look like:

Fines: $1,000 to $2,000
Jail Time: 1 day to 9 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 180 days to 1 year
Impounded Vehicle: 10 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: 6 months to 1 year
Other Florida DUI Penalties: 50 hours of community service, required substance abuse counseling, and DUI school

Second Offense Within 5 Years

If you get a second DUI offense in Florida, the timing of it will impact the DUI consequences you’ll face. These consequences will be on the stricter side if your second DUI arrest occurs within 5 years of the first one.

Here are the Florida DUI penalties you’ll be looking at if you’re convicted of DUI twice in the state:

Fines: $1,000 to $2,000
Jail Time: Minimum 10 days to 9 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 5 years or more
Impounded Vehicle: 30 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 1 year
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Second Offense Within 5 Years With a Minor in Vehicle or BAC Level of 0.15

The Florida DUI penalties for someone who has been convicted for a second time in 5 years are already very harsh. Because of this, the DUI consequences for getting a second offense within 5 years with a minor in your vehicle or a BAC level of 0.15 or higher aren’t that dramatically different.

Take a look at the penalties you’ll face in this instance:

Fines: $2,000 to $4,000
Jail Time: Minimum 10 days to 12 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 5 years or more
Impounded Vehicle: 30 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 1 year
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Second Offense After 5 Years

If you end up getting a DUI in Florida for the second time but it takes place at least 5 years after your first conviction, the Florida DUI penalties will be slightly less harsh than they would be otherwise. But you’ll still find yourself dealing with some serious DUI consequences.

This is how these consequences will break down:

Fines: $1,000 to $2,000
Jail Time: 1 day to 9 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 180 days to 1 year
Impounded Vehicle: 10 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 1 year
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Second Offense After 5 Years With a Minor in Vehicle or BAC Level of 0.15

If you get a DUI in Florida for the second time after 5 years but you have a minor in your vehicle or a BAC level of 0.15 or higher, your Florida DUI penalties will be slightly harsher than if you weren’t arrested under these circumstances. Florida does not take kindly to DUIs that involve minors being in a vehicle or an especially high BAC level.

Here is how you’ll be penalized in this case:

Fines: $2,000 to $4,000
Jail Time: 1 day to 12 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 180 days to 1 year
Impounded Vehicle: 10 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 1 year
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Third Offense Within 10 Years

Getting arrested for DUI in Florida for the third time within 10 years can carry some of the most serious DUI consequences of all. The Florida DUI penalties that you’ll face might have a huge impact on your lifestyle.

This is what you may be facing following a third DUI arrest in a decade:

Fines: $1,000 to $5,000
Jail Time: Minimum 30 days to 12 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 10 years or more
Impounded Vehicle: 90 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 2 years
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Third Offense Within 10 Years With a Minor in Vehicle or BAC Level of 0.15

Getting arrested for DUI in Florida for the third time within 10 years with either a minor in your vehicle or a BAC level of 0.15 will subject you to even more serious DUI consequences. Just like with the previous examples listed on this Florida DUI penalty chart, you’re going to face stricter penalties under these circumstances.

Here are the Florida DUI penalties you’ll face:

Fines: $4,000 to $5,000
Jail Time: Minimum 30 days to 12 months
Probation: Up to 1 year
Loss of License: 10 years or more
Impounded Vehicle: 90 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 2 years
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Fourth Offense

If you happen to get arrested for DUI in Florida for a fourth time this can be considered a felony. You will run the risk of losing your driver’s license for good. You’ll also face other DUI consequences that could change your life forever, like extensive jail or prison time.

Check out the Florida DUI penalties for a fourth DUI offense and conviction:

Fines: $2,000 to $5,000
Jail Time: 1 day to 5 years
Probation: Up to 5 years
Loss of License: Permanent
Impounded Vehicle: 90 days
Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device Installation: At least 5 years
Other Florida DUI Penalties: Required substance abuse counseling and DUI school

Getting a fourth offense with a minor in your vehicle or a BAC level of 0.15 or above will carry the same Florida DUI penalties. You will no longer be able to drive in the state after four DUI convictions. You could also be looking at serious jail or prison time.

Call Us for More Details on This Florida DUI Penalty Chart

This Florida DUI penalty chart shows how seriously the state of Florida takes DUI convictions. It has put strict DUI consequences in place in an attempt to stop people from drinking and driving or driving while under the influence of drugs.

But as you’ve seen after looking at this Florida DUI penalty chart, at least some of the Florida DUI penalties vary quite a bit. For instance, you could end up in jail for anywhere from just over a week to a full year following a second DUI arrest and conviction.

With this in mind, you should hire a great Florida DUI lawyer to help you if you’re ever arrested for DUI. They can work to minimize your DUI consequences or potentially even get your DUI case dismissed completely.

Contact RHINO Lawyers to learn how our law firm can help you.

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