The fines and penalties for a DUI in the state of Washington can be severe, and if you are looking at a second, third, fourth, or subsequent DUI, the penalties gradually increase in severity. Penalties and fines include the following, however, you should keep in mind that the circumstances surrounding your DUI will be taken into consideration by the court, therefore the penalties may be altered to some extent.
First-Time DUI
If your BAC was under .15, the following penalties apply to a first-time DUI in Washington State:
- From one to 364 days in jail (1 day in custody is the mandatory minimum that must be imposed); or
- 15 days of Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM);
- Fines up to $990.50;
- Suspension of your driver’s license for 90 days;
- Drug and alcohol assessment;
- Drug and alcohol counseling with a minimum of alcohol information school (ADIS) and Victim Impact Panel (VIP);
- One year requirement of ignition interlock per DOL;
- Probation.
If your BAC was .15 or higher, or you refused a chemical test, the penalties you face may include:
- From 2 to 364 days in jail, with a mandatory minimum of 2 days, or
- A minimum of 30 days of EHM;
- Suspension of your driver’s license for one year (or 2 years if BAC testing was refused);
- Fines and fees from $1196;
- Drug and alcohol assessment;
- Drug and alcohol counseling, with a minimum of ADIS and VIP;
- From 1 to 2 years with a required ignition interlock;
- Probation.
Second DUI
If you have one prior conviction for a DUI within the past seven years, or a reduced charge had started as a DUI, you are now facing a second DUI. Assuming your BAC was lower than .15, you may face the following penalties if convicted:
- From 30 days to 364 days in jail, with a mandatory minimum of 30 days in custody and
- 60 days of Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM);
- A fine, up to a maximum of $5,000;
- Suspension of your driver’s license for two years with an ignition interlock for 2 years;
- Community service (sometimes in lieu of jail time);
- Drug and alcohol assessment, with alcohol or drug treatment and VIP program
- Court-ordered ignition interlock device installation, or
- Probation court or formal probation.
For a second DUI with a BAC of .15 or higher or a refusal of a blood or breath test, the penalties may include:
- From 45 days to 364 days in jail, with a mandatory minimum of 45 days in custody, and
- 90 days of Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM);
- A fine, up to a maximum of $5,000;
- Suspension of your driver’s license for 900 days (or 3 years if BAC test was refused);
- Drug and alcohol assessment, with alcohol or drug treatment and VIP program;
- Interlock key requirement of 5 years if there was a previous 1 year requirement in your lifetime; or
- Probation court or formal probation.
Third DUI
Should you have two or more DUI convictions within the previous seven years, you will face a third DUI charge. If your BAC at the time of your arrest was less than .15 percent, you face the following penalties if convicted:
- From 90 days to 364 days in jail, with a mandatory requirement of 90 days in custody, and
- 120 days of Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM);
- A fine, up to a maximum of $5,000;
- Suspension of your driver’s license for three years;
- Drug and alcohol assessment;
- Drug and alcohol treatment with VIP program;
- Ignition interlock device, with a 10-year requirement if 5 years was previously imposed;
- Probation court or formal probation.
For a third DUI with a BAC of .15 percent or refusal of a chemical test, the penalties go up:
- From 120 days to 364 days in jail, with a mandatory minimum of 120 days and
- 150 days of Electronic Home Monitoring (EHM);
- A fine, up to a maximum of $5,000;
- Suspension of your driver’s license for four years;
- Drug and alcohol assessment;
- Drug and alcohol counseling, treatment, and VIP program
- Court-ordered ignition interlock device installation, with a 10 year requirement if 5 years was previously imposed;
- Probation court or formal probation.
Fourth or Subsequent DUI
The lookback period changes to ten years (rather than seven), when you are facing a fourth or subsequent Washington DUI. In other words, if you have three or more DUI convictions over the prior ten years, you may be charged with a Class B felony, rather than a gross misdemeanor. The penalties for this Class B felony may include:
- Up to ten years in prison;
- A fine as large as $20,000
- Suspension of your driver’s license for four years;
- Drug and alcohol assessment;
- Drug and alcohol counseling;
- Court-ordered ignition interlock device installation, or
- Probation.
Aggravating Sentencing Factors
The Washington State Legislature created two new categories of “aggravating” sentencing factors for DUIs, which allows judges to impose greater penalties than normal—in some cases, the penalties are mandatory. If a driver is found guilty of DUI, and there was a passenger or passengers younger than 16 in the vehicle at the time of the stop, the judge is required to impose these additional penalties, including:
- Notification to Child Protective Services, which will result in child welfare contact by CPS and an interview for the person arrested for DUI;
- Six months additional time for an ignition interlock device, and
Getting the Help You Need from a Top DUI Defense Lawyer in Pierce County
If you have been charged with a DUI, you need help—and you need help immediately. The longer you wait, the more difficult you make it for your attorney to actually make a difference in the outcome of your DUI charges.
By contacting The Law Offices of Barbara A. Bowden, you are ensuring that highly experienced Lakewood DUI lawyers will be handling your case from start to finish. We handle 1000s of DUIs and traffic tickets, which allows us to focus exclusively on these areas. In turn, that ensures you receive an outstanding defense from our drunk driving defense lawyers—a defense which gives you the very best outcome possible following your charges.
The time also has been shortened to request a DOL (administrative) hearing to 7 days. If you are arrested and either submitted to a BAC and your result was less than .08 or you refused a BAC test, you have 7 days to request a hearing.
If you have been arrested for drunk driving in Washington, do not wait—contact The Law Offices of Barbara A. Bowden today, or your suspension or revocation will go into effect automatically within 7 days.
