Delaware DUI

If you are pulled over for a Delaware DUI you can expect to have two cases to face, both a court case and an administrative hearing with the Delaware DUI DMV. One thing to keep in mind is that you or your lawyer must request the DMV hearing, or your Delaware DUI will cause you to lose your driver’s license. In Delaware you must request this hearing within fifteen days of receiving you DUI citation. So you need to contact a lawyer as soon as you can after being charged with a Delaware DUI.

Estimated Delaware DUI Cost

The estimated cost of a Delaware DUI comes to around $2,400. This includes anywhere from $230 to $1150 in DUI fines, as well as the cost of any jail time served, which cannot be more than six months. If you cannot pay the fines you will have to serve jail time. Otherwise the amount of jail time served, if any, is up to the courts. Also, you will have to pay $145.75 to have your license reinstated. Not only that, but there is a required alcohol education program that you will need to enroll in. The enrollment is $490. First offenders may only need to pay $125 for their education program, depending on the severity of the DUI. 

License Revocation in Delaware

If you are pulled over for a Delaware DUI, expect to have your license revoked. This revocation could last up to a year. However, after 90 days you could qualify for a conditional license, which would allow you to drive to and from work or school. 

Delaware DUI 1st Offense Punishments

• Jail time for up to 6 months
• Alcohol education course
• Up to $1150 in fines
• License revocation for 90 days

Delaware DUI 2nd Offense Punishments

• Jail time of 2 to 18 months
• $575 to $2300 in fines
• Alcohol education course
• License suspension for 1 year

Delaware DUI 3rd Offense Punishments

• Jail time of 1 to 2 years
• $1000 to $3000 in fines
• Alcohol education course
• License suspension for 18 months

Special Delaware DUI Considerations

A Delaware DUI carries with it some special considerations. First, in Delaware you can be convicted of a DUI with or without a blood alcohol test. The most common type of conviction is based on the opinion of the officer who pulls you over. If the officer feels you are impaired due to alcohol based on a field sobriety test that is all that the court needs to hear in order to issue an arrest and guilty conviction. 

Also, in a Delaware DUI case your record goes back through your entire lifetime. That means that if you have a DUI offense in your far past, even in another state, you are not considered a first offender. Second and third offenders face more fees and must take a treatment program at an outpatient treatment center or mental health facility. 

No matter if you are a first time offender or a repeat offender, your Delaware DUI will carry serious consequences for your insurance premiums. You will either find that you are dropped by your insurance provider, or you will find that your premium cost skyrockets. This can even affect your family members that are on your insurance policy.

Delaware DUI News Headlines