Hawaii DUI

If you are given a Hawaii DUI citation, you need to take immediate action to protect your driver’s license and the privilege to drive by talking to a qualified lawyer. This is because the Administrative Driver’s License Revocation Office is going to start working to take your driving privilege away immediately. Failure to take action almost certainly means you will lose the chance to drive.

Hawaii Criminal Prosecution For DUI

A Hawaii DUI is considered a criminal case. There are two ways the courts can look at it. Either they can try you as being “impaired for the purpose of driving,” or they can convict you for violating the Hawaii DUI laws. Either way, a DUI in Hawaii will bring criminal charges. 

If the court is looking to try you based on the fact that you were driving impaired, they will try to show that your physical appearance indicated you were impaired. Other ways to prove this are to show that you failed a field sobriety test, a chemical blood test, or that your driving patterns indicated that you were under the influence of alcohol. You need the help of a lawyer in this case. Your lawyer will try to show that there is doubt about the testimony against you. If you are tried for breaking Hawaii DUI law, the evidence presented against you will be your body chemistry. If your blood alcohol level is .08 or higher, you are in violation of the Hawaii DUI law.

Punishments for Hawaii DUI

If you are convicted of a Hawaii Dui, you can expect to face an immediate suspension of your license for ninety days. If you need to drive to work, the time will be reduced to thirty days, but you will then only be able to drive to and from work for a ninety-day period. You could also be sentenced to any of the following punishments. 

First Offense Punishments

• $150 - $1,000 fine
• Jail time 2-5 days
• 3 days community service
• Alcohol Education required
• Drivers license revocation of 3 months

Second Offense Punishments

• Jail time of 5 - 14 days or 240 hours community service
• Fines between $500 and $1500
• Drivers license revocation of 1 year
• DUI School
• Mandatory Alcohol Evaluation and Treatment

Third Offense Punishments

• Jail time of 10 - 30 days or 240 hours community service
• Fines between $500 and $2500
• Drivers license suspension for 2 to 5 years
• DUI School
• Mandatory Alcohol Evaluation and Treatment

Hawaii DUI Insurance Considerations

Also, keep in mind that your insurance company is going to require what's known as a SR22 insurance policy in order to continue to cover you.  There are special companies known as high risk auto insurance providers that specialize in issuing insurance policies to people with prior DUI offenses.  Get a free Hawaii SR22 insurance quote here.

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