How Much Will a DUI Cost?

If you get behind the wheel after drinking alcohol or using drugs, you risk getting a DUI charge. The police officer will ask for your license and registration. They may also arrest you. While you’re detained, you might start to wonder how much a DUI conviction will cost.

Regardless of where you live, the penalties for a DUI offense are severe. In addition to possible jail time, you’ll also face fines, court fees, and a driver’s license suspension.

If you’re currently facing DUI charges, contact a local criminal defense attorney to discuss your case as soon as possible. Retaining an experienced DUI attorney gives you the best chance of avoiding a conviction or getting charges reduced.

What Is the Average Cost of a DUI in the United States?

Most estimates suggest a typical DUI conviction costs several thousands of dollars in total. Unfortunately, an exact figure isn’t available at the federal level. Because the true costs extend far beyond a simple fine, it’s hard to measure how much each person has ultimately paid for their DUI case.

As a general rule, the cost will vary based on:

• Where you are being charged (jurisdiction)
• Prior DUIs or other criminal offenses
• How you plead to the DUI charges
• Whether you were at fault for a DUI accident
• Your level of impairment, which may lead to an aggravated DUI charge
• Your current insurance policy and driving record
• Whether the police impounded your car
• The requirements to reinstate your driver’s license

This article will explain these factors and more variables of a DUI case in detail. A DUI defense lawyer can assess your circumstances to give you a better idea of what to expect in your case.

Will I Have to Pay Bail?

After your DUI arrest, there is a good chance you’ll have to pay bail. There’s always the chance that the judge will release you on your own recognizance, but there’s no guarantee that’ll happen. Depending on whether it’s your first-offense DUI, you may have to come up with hundreds (or thousands) of dollars for bail.

If you have prior DUI convictions on your criminal record, there’s a good chance your bail will be high. If so, you may need to engage a bail bonds person to pay it for you. If you want to get out of jail, you’ll have to pay the bail bonds company at least 10% of your bail.

Of course, if you don’t attend your court appearances, the court will forfeit your bail bond and issue an arrest warrant. If this happens, the bail bonds company will demand payment in full immediately. They will also charge exorbitant fees for skipping bail.

Towing Fees and Storage

When the police arrest a motorist for DUI, they typically impound the driver’s motor vehicle. Law enforcement will call a towing company to take your car or truck to the impound lot. Not only will you have to pay the towing fee, but you’ll also have to pay a monthly impound fee.

The average cost for a towing company to transport your motor vehicle is between $75 and $200. You’ll also have to pay $30-$50 per day in impound fees.

If the police arrest you on a Friday or Saturday night, you may not get out of jail until Monday. This means you won’t be able to get your car for a few days. The impound fees add up quickly.

Attorney Fees for DUI Cases

Even if you have no criminal history, you should still contact an experienced DUI lawyer immediately after your arrest. The police do not usually arrest people for DUI unless they have proof that the person was, in fact, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The best way to fight the DUI charges is to hire a seasoned criminal defense attorney who has previously handled DUI cases. Not only do they know the local DUI laws, but they also have experience dealing with the county prosecutor and courts.

DUI attorneys can be expensive. If you decide to hire them to handle your case, they’ll require a retainer. This retainer will likely be several thousand dollars. There may be attorneys who charge less, but this is one time you don’t want to pinch pennies.

A skilled DUI lawyer will work hard to achieve an acquittal or a favorable plea bargain. You take your chances of losing in court if you hire someone without extensive experience handling drunk driving cases.

Costs of a DUI Conviction

Ideally, your criminal defense lawyer will get the prosecutor to drop the DUI charges. However, that is rare. The police couldn’t have arrested you without probable cause, so there must be evidence that you were guilty of drunk driving. They will not be eager to dismiss the charges against you.

Depending on the facts of your case and your prior driving record, your lawyer may be able to negotiate a plea bargain. If, for example, your blood alcohol content (BAC) was below the legal limit of 0.08%, the state may be willing to reduce the charges to reckless driving.

If the evidence against you is too strong to avoid a DUI conviction, you should expect to pay thousands of dollars in post-conviction fees. We’ll discuss these fees in more detail below.

Court Costs

If your DUI attorney cannot negotiate a plea deal, your case will go to trial. A trial in a DUI case isn’t like the trials you see on television. There typically is no jury, and the only witness is the police officer who arrested you.

The prosecutor will introduce their evidence against you, and your lawyer will submit evidence supporting your innocence. The judge will review all the evidence and decide on guilt. If the state convicts you, the judge will hand down your sentence.

Regardless of the outcome, if your case goes to trial, you must pay court fees. Every jurisdiction has different schedules, so there’s no way to say precisely how much these costs will be. However, they usually average anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000.

The court may approve a payment plan if you cannot pay the costs in full. However, there is no guarantee that they’ll do this.

Fines

If you’re guilty of DUI, you will have to pay fines. The exact amount of these fines depends on several factors. If it is your first-time DUI, the fine will range from $100 to $5,000. It will depend on several factors, including:

• Your BAC at the time of your DUI arrest
• Your criminal record
• Whether you have prior DUI convictions
• Whether you were involved in a motor vehicle accident at the time of your DWI
• Whether you committed other traffic infractions, such as speeding, reckless driving, etc.

As with your court costs, the judge may approve a payment plan for your fines.

Probation Fees

When the judge issues your sentence, it may include jail time and probation. If you get probation, you may have to pay certain fees. These fees will increase if the judge requires you to submit to drug tests as part of your probation.

Ignition Interlock Device

In many jurisdictions, people guilty of DUI must install an ignition interlock device (IID) on their motor vehicle. This is a device that requires drivers to breathe into a tube before they can drive their car.

You must pay the cost of installing the device, which is approximately $150. You must also pay monthly service fees for the IID, which usually costs about $50.

Traffic School or Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling

As part of your plea or sentence, you may have to attend court-ordered traffic school or substance abuse counseling. You must pay for these classes. The exact cost of these classes varies from state to state. However, they can be as much as $1,000.

DMV Charges License Suspension and Reinstatement Fees

If you’re guilty of DUI, the state will suspend your driving privileges. This is the case for first-time DUI offenders as well. Once your driver’s license suspension ends, you must pay a license reinstatement fee to your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles. This usually costs a few hundred dollars.

Increase in Car Insurance Premiums

The costs of your DUI conviction don’t end once you pay your court costs, fees, and court fines. Your auto insurance premiums will increase once you have a DUI on your driving record. You may even have to find a new insurance company, as many carriers drop customers with a DUI on their record.

On average, a person’s car insurance rates increase by more than 70% once they have a DUI conviction on their driving record. You will continue to pay these inflated rates for years.

There Are Also Non-Financial Costs of a DUI Conviction

As you can see, the DUI penalties are harsh, and the total cost of a DUI conviction is in the thousands. In addition to these financial costs, there are other intangible costs.

Some drivers risk losing their professional license if they are guilty of a DUI. For example, the court will suspend or revoke a person’s commercial driver’s license after a DUI. Your employer may also have a policy prohibiting people with a DUI conviction from working at their company.

What if I Can’t Afford a DUI?

Once you face DUI charges, the basic options to reduce the costs are to reach a plea deal or successfully prevent a conviction. Yet, both options will still involve an expense. Even if you win your defense case, the government generally won’t pay for your legal fees. The rare exception is when law enforcement made an error so egregious that you succeed in a misconduct claim.

It may be tempting to handle things on your own rather than pay for legal fees as well. However, your chances of an acquittal or favorable plea bargain are much better if you hire a criminal defense attorney to handle things for you. It’s money well spent when you consider the costs of a DUI conviction.

If you’re under financial hardship, a few other resources may be available. You can explore your options for free or reduced legal representation, such as working with a public defender. Courts and law firms often also offer payment plans or waivers. To avoid job loss, you can request a restricted driver’s license to drive to and from your workplace.

Certain costs may be unavoidable. If you refuse to pay court fees and fines, you may face contempt of court and arrest. Your insurance might become more expensive, but you cannot drive without carrying your state’s minimum insurance coverage. Your attorney can help you understand these necessary costs and offer advice to avoid further penalties.

Call a Criminal Defense Attorney for Legal Advice

The financial burdens of a DUI are significant. Your insurance increases, you’ll have to pay fines and court fees, and you may have to complete community service.

If the police arrest you for DUI, the first thing you should do is use FindLaw’s attorney directory to contact a local DUI attorney. They’ll provide valuable legal advice and help you navigate the criminal justice system. Not only will they help you with your DUI case, but they may be able to help you secure an expungement after the fact.