Drinking and driving laws vary from state to state. If you are unlucky enough to be caught, it is considered a criminal offense in all of the 50 states, which is generally punishable with a fine, temporary or permanent loss of license and possible jail time. The list below encompasses the states that you definitely do not want to get caught drunk driving in as they have the harshest laws:
Arizona – since 2007, this state is considered to have the toughest DUI laws in the country. First time offenders face a minimum fine of $1,250, community service, a 10-day jail stay and the installation of an ignition interlock device on their car for one year! Don’t forget attorney’s fees, time lost at work, and the expense of the interlock device.
Georgia – it is a criminal offense to operate a vehicle (including watercrafts and motorcycles) if you BAC level .08%. However, an individual can also be convicted with a BAC level at .05% if the prosecution can establish beyond a reasonable doubt that alcohol consumption impaired your ability to drive safely. A driver under the age of 21 can be convicted with a BAC level of .02%. The Administrative License Suspension Law says that if you are pulled over and refuse to submit to a test to determine your BAC, your license can automatically be suspended for one year. For your first DUI offense, you will be punished with fines up to $1,000, 40 hours of community service, fees to reinstate your license and a minimum of 24 hours in jail.
Florida – this state is a vacation destination for many in the Midwest and East Coast. College students flock for spring break and families look to get out of the cold weather and enjoy the beautiful beaches. Don’t get too relaxed! The first DUI conviction entails up to $500 in fines, 50 hours of community service, jail time of 8 hours to 6 months, drivers license revoked for a minimum of 6 months and vehicle impoundment for 10 days.
In some states you can have your license reinstated to go to and from work, but the offender will have to install the ignition interlock device. This requires the driver to give a breath sample before starting the car and to retests later in the drive.
All states have some sort of DUI school requirement to go along with all of these punishments. After you have spent all this money on fees, fines and lawyers, have missed work to attend court hearings, have spent your weekends doing community service on the side of the road, the best thing you can do for yourself is ask the court to approve an online DUI class. Good quality online classes are available from any Internet based computers, at any time of the day or night. This gives you the flexibility to take them early in the morning or late at night after work. It takes a long time to recover from a DUI conviction. Fulfilling this portion of your punishment from your own home is the one thing you can get done without having to add any more disruption to your life.
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