Charged With A DUI In The State Of Florida

If so, it is important to know the state laws concerning DUI convictions, what penalties are included, and what legal options are available to you.

What is a DUI?
In Florida, a DUI (driving under the influence of alcoholic beverages, chemical substances, or controlled substances) is defined as an offense proved by impairment of normal faculties or unlawful blood alcohol or breath alcohol level of .08 or higher.

DUI penalties are the same without regard to which manner of the offense is proven.

Punishments of a First DUI Conviction
Fines: Not less than $250 or more than $1,000.  Blood/Breath Alcohol Level (BAL) of .15 or higher, or having a minor in the vehicle, raises the fine to not less than $1,000 or more than $2,000.

Community Service: Mandatory 50 hours of community service or an additional fine of $10 for each hour of community service required.

Vehicle Impoundment: 10 days (unless the family of the defendant has no other transportation).

Probation: The total period of probation and incarceration may not exceed 1 year.

Jail: Not more than 6 months. If the BAL is .15 or higher, or a minor is present in the vehicle, jail time will not exceed 9 months.

License Revocation: Minimum of 180 days.

DUI School: 12 hours. Must complete DUI school before hardship reinstatement. Drivers who wait out revocation period before reinstatement need only show proof of enrollment or completion to become re-licensed. If driver enrolls and is reinstated after revocation period expires, failure to complete the DUI school within 90 days after reinstatement will result in license cancellation; the driver cannot then be re-licensed until DUI school is completed.

What is the Zero Tolerance Policy?
In Florida, the Zero Tolerance law only applies to drivers under the age of 21. This law states that a driver under the legal drinking age can be convicted of a DUI if their blood alcohol level is .02 as opposed to the .08 requirement for drivers over the age of 21.

Drivers convicted of a DUI under the Zero Tolerance provision will have their Florida driver’s license automatically suspended for 6 months in addition to other first conviction penalties.

If you have been charged with a DUI in the state of Florida you’ll want to speak with an experienced Florida DUI attorney about your right and options. Get started by completing our short questonnaire.