Alabama DUI

An Alabama DUI carries serious consequences. If you are facing an Alabama DUI case, you are facing two separate types of cases, both a criminal case within the courts and an administrative case concerning your driver’s license with the Department of Public Safety. 

License Suspension

In Alabama, DUI is considered having a blood alcohol level of .08% for non-commercial drivers, .04% for commercial drivers, and .02% for school bus drivers. Drivers under twenty-one cannot have a blood alcohol level higher than .02%, since they are not yet at a legal drinking age.   An Alabama DUI carries a ninety-day license suspension. In Alabama you only have ten days to have a lawyer file a request to allow you to keep your driver’s license. It is important for you to contact a lawyer right away. The lawyer will help you determine what paperwork you need to file, and how to best present your case in court. 

While facing an Alabama DUI may be devastating, not to mention embarrassing, waiting to contact a lawyer could mean you lose your license for up to ninety days.

Costs and Jail Time

Your Alabama DUI arrest will cost you. For a first offense arrest you can expect to pay between $600 and $2100, depending on the results of your court case. You will also need to pay a $100 fine to the Impaired Drivers Trust Fund.

Since an Alabama DUI arrest is considered a criminal offense, you are also facing possible jail time. While this is not always part of the sentencing, you can have up to one year of jail time, depending on the outcome of your court hearing. You will also be required to attend classes talking about the dangers of driving under the influence. 

Treatment programs may be part of the sentence, particularly for repeat offenders. If an Alabama DUI arrestee does not attend the treatment and education as prescribed by the court, the license of the driver will not be reinstated. Finally, an Alabama DUI is guaranteed to make your insurance premium go up on your automobile insurance. Many people who have been arrested for an Alabama DUI find that they can no longer afford their insurance, or their insurance carrier drops them from the service completely. 

Alabama DUI First Offense Punishments

• Misdemeanor charge

• Up to one year in jail

•  $600 to $2100 in fines

• License suspended for 90 days

• Substance abuse program

Alabama DUI Second Offense Punishments

• 5 to 365 days jail time

• $1100 to $5100 in fines

• License suspension for 1 year

• Treatment

Alabama DUI News Headlines