A DUI conviction in Florida will stay on your record for 75 years and negatively impact your life in various ways. Apart from this, you will face even harsher penalties and sentences if you do it again in the near future.
Depending on the circumstances of your case, a DUI in Florida can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony. If you face a DUI conviction in Orlando and feel like you were wrongfully charged, the charges go beyond a DUI, or you want to apply for a hardship license or work permit, you should speak with an Orlando DUI attorney.
A DUI attorney can help you dismiss your charges or receive lesser punishments. Let’s see exactly what happens when you get a DUI in Florida.
What happens when you get a DUI in Florida strictly depends on the circumstances of your case and whether or not you have legal aid by your side to guide you through the process and defend your rights.
If this is your first DUI offense in Florida, you might be fined between $500 to $2,000. If your blood alcohol content was .15 or higher, or there was a minor in the vehicle at the time, then you will face harsher penalties and higher fines, typically between $2,000 to $4,000.
You will also serve 50 hours of mandatory community service or pay additional fines of $10 for each hour. If you are convicted, then your probation and incarceration period won’t be more than one year, but imprisonment is strictly up to the court’s decision. You can face a maximum of six months in prison, but for higher alcohol blood content levels or the presence of a minor in the vehicle, you might face up to nine months.
Sentencing terms can be served either at a residential alcoholism or drug abuse treatment program. The minimum driver’s license revocation period for a first DUI offense in Florida without bodily injury is 180 days, while the maximum is one year. Yet, with bodily injury, you can expect a minimum of three years of license revocation.
If this isn’t your first DUI in Florida, you will face greater fees and penalties. If you were involved in an accident while under the influence, the penalties are, again, significantly harsher, even more so if you left the scene and someone died as a result of the accident. You can be charged with a second-degree felony or a first-degree felony for DUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide.
You shouldn’t let a DUI conviction pass without a fight, especially if you feel you were wronged. In other instances, being left without a driver’s license can make it difficult to go to work or engage in other activities.
A DUI lawyer can help you out, though, by either dismissing your charges or reducing the sentencing depending on the circumstances of your case. They can also help you apply for a hardship license or work permit. If this is your first DUI in Florida, you need to complete DUI school for hardship reinstatement and wear ignition interlock devices for up to six months if your blood alcohol content was 0.15 or more.
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