Washington DC DUI Lawyer

Being charged with DUI or another alcohol-related driving offense in Washington DC can carry serious consequences. However, if you prepare for your case by hiring a Washington DC DUI lawyer who is intimately familiar with the law, the rules of evidence, and the options for your defense, you may be able to avoid the legal penalties and personal ramifications of a DUI conviction. If you are charged with DUI, your first priority should be contacting an experienced and well-qualified DC DUI attorney who will work to keep you out of jail. Finding a DUI lawyer in Washington DC can help you maintain your driving privileges pending the outcome of your case, and offers you the strongest possibility of avoiding a DUI conviction that can have lifelong repercussions.

DUI Laws in Washington DC

Though intoxicated driving is most commonly referred to as DUI, or driving under the influence, there are several alcohol-related driving offenses with which one may be charged in Washington DC. These “drunk driving” offenses include:

• Driving Under the Influence (DC DUI)
• Driving While Intoxicated (DC DWI)
• Operating While Impaired (DC OWI)

Each offense carries separate penalties depending on the severity of the offense and any aggravating circumstances. If you are charged with DUI, DWI, or OWI, a DC DUI lawyer can explain your specific charge, any possible consequences of conviction, and your top options for defense.

As in locations across the nation, the legal threshold for intoxication as determined by Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is 0.08. However, a person may still be charged with a criminal offense if they demonstrate intoxication or impairment with a BAC below 0.08. In fact, Washington DC maintains a zero-tolerance policy for drivers under the age of 21, meaning that drivers younger than the legal drinking age may be arrested for DUI even with trace amounts of alcohol or illegal controlled substance in the bloodstream. In addition, commercial drivers found to be driving with a BAC of 0.04 or higher will be charged with DUI in Washington DC.

Penalties for DUI in DC vary according to the nature of the offense and whether the driver is charged with a first or subsequent offense.

Penalties for First Offense DUI in Washington DC

Though a first DUI offense is a misdemeanor, sentencing is still harsh. If convicted of DUI in DC, a first offender faces fines of up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, and a six-month suspension of his or her driver’s license. With elevated BAC, the penalties are more severe, requiring a mandatory minimum of five days in jail for a BAC between 0.20 and 0.25, and a minimum of ten days in jail for a BAC exceeding 0.25.

Penalties for a Second DC DUI Conviction

In many areas across the nation, a DUI charge is considered a second offense if it occurs within five or ten years of a previous conviction. Washington DC DUI laws, however, are more severe in this regard. If a driver receives a second DC DUI conviction within fifteen years of the first, he or she faces fines of up to $5,000 and a maximum sentence of up to one year in jail. Furthermore, a second DUI conviction nets a mandatory minimum of five days in jail; with elevated BAC, the time in jail may increase. The driver’s license will be suspended for one year—a penalty which is often more difficult and inhibiting than any jail time served.

Higher BAC levels also require 30 days of mandatory community service for those convicted of DUI as a second offense.

Penalties for a Third or Subsequent DC DUI Conviction

If a person is convicted of a third or subsequent DC DUI within fifteen years of the previous offense, he or she is subject to fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 and incarceration for up to one year. A third DC DUI conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten days in jail, a sentence which cannot be suspended by any judge. Third and subsequent offenders are subject to a driver’s license revocation for two years, and they are required to perform 60 days of community service.

Washington DC Implied Consent Law

Implied Consent laws require compliance with blood alcohol analysis testing for any driver suspected of driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, or operating while impaired. When a driver accepts his or her driver’s license, he is implicitly agreeing to provide chemical tests such as blood, urine, or breath tests to determine Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) if arrested for DUI in DC. Refusal of a blood alcohol analysis results in a one-year suspension of the driver’s license. A qualified DUI lawyer in Washington DC can help you understand your rights and responsibilities, and can launch a strong defense even in the case of incriminating blood alcohol analysis results.

DC DUI License Suspension

If you are arrested for DUI in Washington DC, your driver’s license will be revoked automatically. However, you have the right to request a hearing to contest the license suspension. It is important to act quickly to maintain your driving privileges; you have only five days to request a hearing with the Washington DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A DC DUI attorney can handle your DMV hearing to help you keep your license.

Call an Experienced Washington DC DUI Lawyer for Help

If you have been arrested for DUI in Washington DC, you have several options for your defense. An experienced DC DUI lawyer can explain the possible consequences you face and the options you have for protecting yourself against any negative ramifications of a DUI charge. Reduced charges, a suspended sentence, or even a complete dismissal of the charges against you may be possible when you hire a skilled Washington DC DUI attorney to handle your defense.