Texas DWI laws, or more commonly referred to as DUI laws, can be misdemeanor offenses or felony offenses depending on what the specifics of the DWI in Texas are.

DWI punishments in Texas vary by what number offense it is and the extent of the DWI.

First Offense Texas DWI:  a first offense DWI conviction carry a fine of $2,000.00 with the possibility of serving jail time from 3-180 days plus a driver’s license suspension of 90-365 days which is a class B misdemeanor.

Second Offense Texas DWI: fine is $4,000.00 with the possibility of jail from 30 days to 1 year.  Drivers license suspensions range from 180 days to up to 2 years.  A Second offense DWI in Texas is a Class A misdemeanor.

Third Offense Texas DWI: find could be up to $10,000 and carry a prison sentence from 2 to 10 years.  Drivers license suspensions range from 180 days to as long as 2 full years.  A Third Offense DWI in Texas is considered a 3rd Degree felony.

In addition to the above Texas DWI offenses there are additional “enhancements” that can carry increased fines, suspensions, imprisonment, etc…  They are listed below, 

First Offense Texas DWI with an open container: See the first offense texas dwi penalties above and then add a 6 day jail term plus a fine of up to $2,000.00.  This offense is considered a Class B misdemeanor.

Texas DWI With Serious Bodily Injury due to intoxication:  This form of Texas DWI is actually considered a form of assault called intoxication assault.  If convicted of this intoxication assault you could face from 2-10 years in jail.  Fines can go up to $10,000 dollars.  This specific Texas DWI offense is considered a Third degree felony.

Texas DWI with a death due to intoxication:  This form of dwi is classified as manslaughter.  It’s referred to as, “intoxication manslaughter” and if convicted of this you will pay a fine of $10,000 and serve time from 2-20 years depending on the specifics.  This is a 2nd degree felony.

Texas DWI with a child passenger:  A child is considered to be any person 15 years old or younger.  If convicted of a Texas DWI with a passenger 15 years old or younger carries punishments consisting of: imprisonment from 180 days to up to 2 years and a fine up to $10,000.

This is just a basic outline of the punishments you will receive from a Texas DWI offense.  These general guidelines change frequently so please check back often as we will update this posting as changes in texas dwi law occur.

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