Penalties for a Georgia DUI

In Georgia, anyone driving with a blood alcohol concentration level of .08 percent or higher is deemed "per se" intoxicated. This means that you are legally drunk as measured by a breathalyzer test and will be charged with a DUI. Under Georgia law, when you agree to drive with a state-issued driver's license, you must concede to taking a chemical test under implied consent laws when asked to do so by a police officer. If you refuse, your license will be suspended automatically for up to a year.

If you are convicted of a first time DUI, you face penalties of 24 hours up to 12 months in jail, fines of $300 to $1,000, 20 to 40 hours of community service, and a license suspension of one year if over the age of 21. You may also be subject to mandatory DUI school and alcohol or drug evaluation.

A second DUI conviction within 10 years is punishable by 72 hours to 12 months in jail, financial penalties ranging from $600 to $1,000, plus statutory surcharges of 15 to 25 percent, and 240 hours of community service. Your license suspension may extend to 3 years, involving one year of hard suspension followed by work permits with proof of an ignition interlock device. Further penalties include DUI school, alcohol or drug evaluation, and having to provide your name, address, and other details of your arrest for publication in your local newspaper for a $25 fee.

For a third DUI arrest and conviction, you face a mandatory minimum jail term of 15 days which could extend to 12 months, depending on the details of your case. You also face 240 hours of community service and fines ranging between $1,000 and $5,000. Your license suspension may become a 5 year revocation with 2 years of hard suspension followed by an ignition interlock permit. You may get your license reinstated if you complete DUI school, drug or alcohol evaluation, and 17 weeks of rehabilitation treatment. You may also face a one-year probation, less any jail time served as well having the details of your arrest published in the local newspaper.

A Lawrenceville Criminal Defense Lawyer can Help

In the face of such serious consequences and the long-term impact that a DUI conviction can have on your future, it is critical that you get professional legal help. If you are arrested and charged with a DUI in Gwinnett County, you can get experienced and attentive legal help from a Gwinnett County criminal defense attorney at the Law Offices of Robert L. Booker in Lawrenceville. Attorney Booker has extensive legal and trial experience and will develop a defense strategy to help you fight charges and to keep your record clean.

Contact the Lawrenceville DUI attorney at our firm to discuss your DUI case today.