Relative to other types of criminal charges, a DUI may seem like a minor offense, but driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol puts your life, and the lives of others at risk, which is why it holds serious penalties under the law. DUI penalties also get more severe with every infraction, and result in a suspended license, so if you’ve been arrested for a DUI, it’s important to do everything within your power to keep a conviction off your record.

DUI Penalties in Utah

Upon a first DUI conviction, you must serve a minimum of 48 hours in jail, pay a fine of at least $700, and your license will be suspended for 120 days. For a second offense, the jail sentence goes up to at least 10 days and the fine to at least $800, and a third offense results in a minimum 63-day jail sentence and a minimum fine of $1,500. After a second or third DUI offense, your license is suspended for two years and you must have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle.

Refusal to Test Penalties

Testing at a blood alcohol content over the legal limit (0.8% for civilian drivers, 0.4% for commercial drivers) is not the only way you can face legal penalties if you are pulled over for a DUI. If you refuse to take a drug or alcohol test, you can receive a refusal to test penalty, which results in the suspension of your license for 18 months for a first offense, and for three years for each subsequent offense that occurs over a ten-year period.

Salt Lake DUI Attorney

Whether you failed a drug or alcohol test, or are facing license suspension for refusing to test, you need an attorney experienced in DUI cases to fight the charges against you. Blood alcohol content tests are notoriously inaccurate, especially those taken on the scene with a breathalyzer. Just because you have tested over the legal limit doesn’t mean you were over the limit, or that you deserve to have your license suspended.

Loni F. De Land is a DUI attorney based out of Salt Lake City who has years of experience defending clients who have been charged with driving under the influence in the state of Utah. Loni F. De Land LLC defends DUI clients statewide, and can help you get out from under a DUI charge and keep your license.