Penalties for DUI

No Prior Offense in Seven Years

If a person has no prior offense, and their BAC was under .15, the mandatory minimum penalty is:

• 1 day in jail
• $940.50 fine
• 90 day license suspension
• a one year ignition interlock requirement.

If the person's BAC was above .15, or a breath test refusal, the mandatory minimum penalty is:

• two days in jail
• $1,195.50 fine
• one year license suspension
• a one year ignition interlock requirement.

One Prior Offense in Seven Years

If a person has one prior offense, and their BAC was under .15, the mandatory minimum penalty is:

• 30 days in jail
• 60 days of electric home monitoring (EHM) with a breath test machine
• $1,195.50 fine
• two year license suspension
• a five year ignition interlock requirement if a prior offense required one.

If the person's BAC was above .15, or a breath test refusal, the mandatory minimum penalty is

• 45 days in jail
• 90 days of electronic home monitoring (EHM) with a breath test machine
• three year license suspension
• a five year ignition interlock requirement if a prior offense required one.

Two Prior Offenses in Seven Years

If a person has two prior offenses, and their BAC was under .15, the mandatory minimum penalty is:

• 90 days in jail
• 120 days of electric home monitoring with a breath test machine
• $2,045.50 fine
• three year license suspension
• a ten year ignition interlock requirement if there were two prior offenses where it was required.

If the person's BAC was above .15, or a breath test refusal, the mandatory minimum penalty is:

• 120 days in jail
• 150 days of electronic home monitoring with a breath test machine
• four year license suspension
• and a ten year ignition interlock requirement if there were two prior offenses where it was required.

What Counts as a Prior Offense?

Prior offenses include those offenses where the arrest occurred within seven years, before or after the current offense. Also, a "prior offense" includes original convictions for the following where the original charge was DUI:

• reckless driving
• vehicular assault
• vehicular homicide
• reckless endangerment
• negligent driving in the first degree
• physical control of a motor vehicle while under the influence
• an offense from another state where the offense is the above.

Washington State is tough on DUI. A first offense is bad enough. The second offense is obviously more so. An experienced DUI attorney with our firm is worth every penny, and more so.

Don't take your chances with someone simply because they are less expensive, or as is more likely, is demanding a great deal more money than we do.