Penalties for Florida DUI Conviction
June 9, 2020
When law enforcement stops you in Florida for a traffic offense or erratic driving, you could receive a charge of driving under the influence. You must have measured blood alcohol content above 0.08% or be noticeably impaired for this type of criminal arrest.
If you are facing a Florida DUI court date, understand the potential penalties for a conviction.
Initial DUI
With no prior history of DUI convictions within the past five years, you may receive:
180-day to 12-month license suspension
Vehicle impoundment for up to 10 days
Up to six months in jail
Minimum fine of $500, maximum fine of $1,000
State law also imposes increased penalties for aggravated DUI circumstances. Even for a first offense, you can receive up to nine months in jail and a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 if you had a BAC higher than 0.15% or drove drunk with a passenger younger than 18.
Second DUI in Five Years
Penalties for a repeat DUI offense may include:
Five-year license revocation (one-year work license available for some offenders)
Vehicle impoundment for 30 days
Mandatory minimum jail sentence of 10 days or up to nine months (a year in cases with aggravated circumstances as described above)
Fines of $1,000 to $2,000 ($2,000 to $4,000 with aggravated circumstances)
Third DUI in 10 Years
With two previous DUI convictions in the same decade, you could receive:
10-year license revocation (two-year work license available for some offenders)
Vehicle impoundment for 90 days
Mandatory minimum jail sentence of 30 days or up to 12 months
Fines of $2,000 to $5,000 (minimum $4,000 with aggravated circumstances)
In addition to these minimum sentences, you could receive up to five years in prison and financial penalties of up to $5,000 for a DUI accident that causes serious bodily harm to another person.