Find an experienced Louisiana DUI attorney who understands Louisiana DUI Laws

Dealing with DUI cases in Louisiana can be challenging for an ordinary lawyer, who is not familiar with local DUI laws and courtroom proceedings. Therefore, if you have been charged with a DWI case in Louisiana, you should immediately hire the services of a qualified Louisiana DUI attorney who can defend you and make a difference in the outcome of your drunk driving charges.

Unlike most other states, in Louisiana, anyone caught with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of more than 0.10% is charged with DUI. For other states, the minimum content of blood alcohol level to be considered a DUI case is 0.80%. The penalties, fines and charges for Louisiana DUI are listed below, to help you understand what you may have to face if you are charged with DWI.

First Time Louisiana DUI Offenders

First time offenders are charged a fine of $300 up to $1000 and jailed for a minimum of 10 days up to 6 months. The defending lawyer may apply for a probation, which has its own terms, along with community service, alcohol or substance abuse program and a driver improvement program. The drivers license is suspended for 3 to 6 months, depending on the court order.

In case the first time offender has a BAC of 0.15% or higher, he or she is required to stay in jail for a minimum of 48 hours.

In other cases when BAC is 0.20% or higher, the charges and penalties increase; A fine between $750 up to $1000 is charged, along with mandatory jail of minimum 48 hours. The drivers license is suspended for 2 years and the offender may be allowed to use a restricted license after plea.

Second Time Louisiana DUI Offenders

Second time DWI offenders are charged a fine anywhere between $750 up to $1000 and jailed for no less than 30 days, to a maximum of 6 months. A defending DUI lawyer can reduce this charge by substituting the sentence with a probation offer, which the offender has to follow strictly. Other penalties include a driver improvement program, license suspension of 1 year followed by ignition interlock device.

In case of second DUI offenses in Louisiana where BAC is 0.15% or higher, the offender is required to stay in jail for minimum mandatory 96 hours.

If BAC is 0.20% or higher, the fine increases to a minimum of $1000 and minimum jail time increases to 96 hours. The drivers license is suspended for 4 years, and the defence attorney may apply for a restricted license, which requires the offender to follow a strict program.

Third Time Louisiana DUI Offenders

Third time offenders are fined a minimum of $2000 and jailed for no less than a year to a maximum of 5 years, out of which 45 days are minimum mandatory before applying for a probation. During probation, the offender has to do community service, undergo alcohol or substance abuse program and undergo home incarceration program for at least 6 months. The offenders license is suspended for 1 year, after which he or she is required to install an ignition interlock device.

Fourth or subsequent Louisiana DWI Offenders

Fourth and any subsequent offenses are charged heavily, with a fine of $5000 and between 10 to 30 years of jail, out of which 75 days is minimum mandatory; the rest of which can be substituted out of jail after court permission of up to 5 years. During probation, offenders have to follow a probation program, including community service, alcohol or substance abuse treatment, license suspension of 2 years after end of probation, along with installation of vehicle ignition interlock device till the time the offender has completed all the requirements of the substance abuse treatment and other conditions which fall under the provisions of Subsections D and E of Louisiana DWI Penalties section.

To fully understand the penalties associated with a Louisiana DUI charge, it is strongly recommended that you consult with a Louisiana DUI lawyer that you are most comfortable with and who can knowledgeably represent you throughout your trial and court proceedings.  You can find a Louisiana drunk driving attorney by typing in the city of your arrest above or call our 24 hour DUI hotline

Additional resources

• Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicle
• Louisiana State Bar Association