June 24, 2008
Arizona DUI Laws and Punishments
By admin
Laws relating to DUI/DWI are different in each state although they do share a basic baseline across the country. In almost any state across the country the legal blood-alcohol content is 0.08%. Almost all states suspend the drivers license upon arrest or after a conviction…
If you are arrested for DUI in the state of Arizona what will you face? Will you be eligible for probation or will you be required to serve a term in jail? How long will your license be suspended for? Will you be required to have an ignition lock installed? Here are Arizona’s laws regarding DUI offenses:
DUI is classified as a Class 1 Misdemeanor while an aggravated DUI is considered a felony. An aggravated DUI offense in Arizona is one in which the driver operated the vehicle while on a suspended/revoked/cancelled license, was their third DUI offense committed within the last 5 years, or while a person under the age of 15 was present in the vehicle.
The average jail term for a first DUI offense is 24 hours to 10 days. For an extreme DUI you face 10 to 30 days. For an aggravated DUI you face a prison term which varies based on the offense and which aggravating circumstances apply.
For a second DUI offense you will most likely serve 30 to 90 days in jail. If it’s an extreme DUI expect 60 to 120 days. There’s a two year maximum prison term for a second aggravated DUI offense.
You will face a minimum fine of $250 plus an additional $1000 (half to a prison construction fund and the other half to the general state fund). For an extreme DUI the fines are higher; $250 minimum plus $250 for a DUI assessment, $1000 for the prison fund and $1000 for the general fund. For an aggravated DUI the penalties are yet higher at $750 minimum fine with $250 DUI assessment, and $1500 for both state funds.
Fines for a second offense are higher than for a first offense. $500 base fine plus $1250 for each state fund applies to a second regular DUI. The same rates apply to a second extreme DUI as well.
Offenders will be charged an 80% surcharge on top of the total fine amounts for each DUI offense as well as face a 90 day suspension of their license (for a first offense). An 80% surcharge is applied for second offenses as well. For an extreme DUI you will face a 1 year suspension; 3 years for an an aggravated offense. A second offense will mean having your license revoked for a period of 1 year for DUI and extreme DUI and 3 years for aggravated DUI.
As a first time offender in most cases you will be eligible for 5 years or less of probation (often unsupervised). For an aggravated DUI you may be eligible for 10 years or less of probation. You may also face court ordered community service hours as a condition of your probation. For second offenses you will also be eligible for probation most likely. The length of probation for a second offense is up to 5 years; 10 years for aggravated offenses.
Your vehicle may be impounded for either an extreme or aggravated DUI offense. You may also be required to undergo alcohol abuse screening and education. For an aggravated DUI this education and screening is mandatory; it’s also mandatory on a second offense.
Topics: State Laws |