Washington State DUI First Offense

The penalties for driving under the influence (DUI) in Washington are severe—even if this is your first offense, you may be sentenced to time in jail and a lengthy driver’s license suspension. You should speak with an experienced Washington DUI attorney to learn how you can fight your DUI first offense charges in order to have them reduced or even dismissed completely.

In Washington, it is a crime for drivers over the age of 21 to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or more. If you test over this limit, you may be charged with a BAC “per se” violation. If your BAC is much higher, you may be charged with a High BAC or a Refusal, which carry stiffer penalties upon conviction.

The penalties for a BAC per se conviction could include at least one day, but no more than 364 days, in jail. For a High BAC conviction or Refusal, you could be sentenced to between two days and one year in jail.

For a first offense, you have may ask the judge to allow you to serve jail time by being on house arrest; on subsequent convictions, you will have to do both jail incarceration and house arrest for varying periods of time depending on your sentence. If this happens, you will be required to wear an electronic home monitoring device, and will only be allowed to leave for work and other events that have been approved by the court.

For a first offense, the court may suspend or revoke your driver’s license or privilege for up to two years. You may also be required to attend DUI education classes before you can have your license reinstated.

A DUI first offense conviction is expensive. Even a first offense DUI conviction, when costs and assessments authorized by law are added to the fine, can result in court costs alone of over $8800.00. If there is personal injury or property damage involved in your case, you will be ordered to pay up to double the restitution necessary to pay for the damage or injury.

Don’t let a Washington DUI first offense affect the rest of your life. Attorney Linda M. Callahan knows Washington DUI laws inside and out and can help you during this difficult time. She will build a solid defense in order to secure the best outcome for your first offense case.

Contact Callahan Law now for a free, no obligation consultation.