What kind of penalties am I looking at if I get arrested for drunk driving here in Arizona?

Beatrice

Phoenix, AZ

A person caught having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% or higher, while driving or in actual control of a car, can and will be charged a DWI or Driving While Intoxicated offense in Arizona. Studies have shown that this level of BAC seriously impairs a person’s ability to drive effectively, therefore intensifying the risk of a drunk driving accident. Costly fined and heavy penalties can be expected, if convicted of a DWI. A DWI insurance policy for you – and your vehicle – is necessary in order to be allowed to drive again.

Here are some very important details about DWI penalties in the state of Arizona: 1st offense has $450 fine plus $500 DWI assessment fee, up to 10 days in jail and 30-360 days license revocation. 2nd offense: $900 fine + $1,250 DWI Assessment fee, 90 days in prison, and a suspended license for a year, offender would also need to shoulder the cost of installing a mandatory Interlock Ignition Device on the vehicle.

Third-time DWI offenders faces a fine of $1,350 + $250 DWI Assessment and another $1,500 for aggravated DWI assessment, 4 months in jail, 3 years license suspension and mandatory interlock ignition device on all vehicles owned.

The state would require someone finished serving a DWI conviction to get a DWI insurance coverage for themselves and all their vehicles, before driving privileges can be restored. The right kind of DWI insurance policy can protect you from huge financial burdens, should you get into or cause an auto accident in the future.

The good news is that getting an affordable DWI insurance policy in Arizona is now easier than ever! Thanks largely to the Web, and the countless online DWI and auto insurance specialists in it. By allowing fast and easy access to the latest auto insurance rates and offers, it now takes only a few minutes and a few mouse clicks away to get the best priced offers in the market today. With the web, you can get the right auto insurance at the right price, while saving yourself hundreds of dollars on insurance costs every year.

2 days ago I was charge with DWI and Im wondering what the penalty for that in Arizona. Will I lose my license? How much is the increase with my car insurance?

Franz

Chandler, Arizona AZ

Any driver in Arizona that has a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08% while driving or is in actual control of a vehicle can be convicted of a DWI or Driving While Intoxicated if caught. This level of BAC has shown to significantly impair a driver’s ability to effectively drive, making it more likely for a drunk driving accident to occur. Anyone convicted of a DWI can expect costly fines and jail time. One would also need to carry a DWI insurance coverage one he/she is allowed to drive again.

The state of Arizona has the following punishments for a DWI offender: $450 fine + $500 DWI Assessment, up to 10 days in prison, and 30 – 360 day license suspension for the 1st offense. $900 fine + $1,250 DWI Assessment, 90 days incarceration, and one year license suspension plus the need to install (at the offender’s expense) of an Interlock Ignition Device after the 2nd offense.

3rd time offenders are fined $1,350 + $250 DWI assessment and an additional $1500 Aggravated DWI assessment, 4 months incarceration, and three years license suspension. All vehicles owned by the driver must have the Interlock Ignition Device.

Getting the right kind of DWI insurance policy is important not only because it is a state requirement, but also because it can save you hundreds of dollars a year on your auto insurance coverage. The Web is a great resource for anyone looking to get the most affordable DWI insurance coverage today.

With the many dedicated online DWI specialists and auto insurance portals, these days it only takes a few minutes to access and compare the latest DWI insurance rates, coming from a variety of specialized auto insurance companies and providers, for the most affordable insurance policy in the market. These portals save you time and effort, while helping you get your life back on the road as quickly as possible.

Life really seems to be unfair sometimes. It was the first time ever that I had a few drinks and drove my way home. I was caught drunk driving and was charged with DUI here in Arizona. I know some people who have done that several times already but were never being caught. I guess maybe they were just lucky. Anyways, I have to know some important things about Arizona DUI laws. What are the penalties that are involved?

Christian

Tempe, AZ

Talking about being lucky, huh? It would be the opposite for you if you will be proven guilty of your DUI charge in Arizona.

If you are found to have less than .08 percent blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of your arrest, you are considered to be “impaired to the slightest degree” and will be sentenced to 10 days in jail, with nine days suspended provided you attend and complete an alcohol education seminar. You may have to pay about a minimum $1,450 in fines, but the judge can impose as much as $2,500 and you may serve jail time for six months. These penalties apply if your BAC is between .08 percent and less than .15 percent.

If the DUI offense is more serious and are found to have .15 percent BAC, be prepared to spend more time in jail as it will be 30 days, 20 days license provided you finish alcohol screening and education and agree to install an “ignition interlock device” in your vehicle. The judge can impose higher penalties and you can serve up to six months in jail, pay much more than $2,500 in fees and surcharges and be subject to about 3 years of probation.

Arizona State does not have to prove that you have a BAC of at least .08 percent to convict you. You can be convicted if they find any trace of alcohol and prove that it impairs your ability to drive.

I have a cousin who has been charged with DUI here in Arizona. His blood alcohol content was actually below the legal limit of .08 percent. How can he be charged with DUI when the BAC was still within the legal limit?

Carlo

Phoenix, AZ

In Arizona, it is not illegal to consume alcohol before driving for people over the legal drinking age of 21. What is illegal is driving while impaired or with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or higher. Experts say that all people have some degree of impairment at .08% BAC.

When an adult driver (21 years or older) has a BAC of .05% or lower, he/she is presumed to be sober and not impaired under the state’s current DUI law.

However, prosecutors find it that by requesting a jury trial for such cases that the BAC was below .08%, an Arizona DUI conviction can still be secured if the jury will be convinced that there was any degree of impairment. This new strategy in prosecuting DUI charges in Arizona may be questionable and controversial, but is within Arizona DUI laws. Hence, the legal limit of .08% BAC really only applies when prosecutors say that it does and that should make anyone who has consumed any amount of alcohol before driving fairly nervous.

Hi. My girlfriend is a law student here in Arizona and she mentioned that there have been several changes regarding Arizona DUI laws. I know someone who has been recently charged with ‘super extreme’ Arizona DUI. This is his first offense. What are the penalties that he is facing?

Ronald

Scottsdale, AZ

An Arizona DUI charge is considered to be ‘super extreme’ DUI if the driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level is .20 percent or above within two hours of driving. Per new Arizona DUI law, if your friend will be convicted with this, he would have to serve a minimum jail time of 45 days. An ignition interlock device would also have to be installed so that the device can test the driver’s breath for alcohol before starting the vehicle.

Many Arizona offenders are challenging the state’s new DUI laws on the grounds that they are ambiguous and vague, therefore, unconstitutional. A lot of lawmakers are concerned that the requirement of mandatory ignition interlock devices for first-time DUI offenders could be eliminated if a judge finds that the harsher Arizona DUI laws are unconstitutional.
Even if others are considering new Arizona DUI laws as harsh and unconstitutional, lawmakers are still hoping to have lesser DUI offenders and fatalities to drop.

What do you mean by rising BAC defense? And when I get stopped by the Arizona police and brought to the police station, what should I do there?

Irma

Gilbert, AZ

Rising BAC defense means that it is unlawful to have an excessive blood-alcohol concentration during driving and not at the time of being breath tested. Because it takes between thirty minutes and three hours for alcohol to be immersed into the system, and person’s BAC might persist to rise for some time after he is stopped and arrested.

Usually, it is an hour or more after you were brought to a halt when the blood, breath or urine test is given to the suspect. Assume that the result is .10%. If the person charged with Arizona DWI has continued to take in alcohol since he was stopped, his BAC at the time he was driving may have been only 0.07%. In other words, the test result illustrates a blood-alcohol level above the lawful limit. But his definite BAC at the time of driving was below that.Once you are in the police station you should not take any breath test. You need to ask for a lawyer immediately before making any statements. You need to stand in only place and politely decline to move around. You need to keep asking for a DUI attorney, and when the Arizona officer tries to get you to walk around, you should not. If he says that there is a phone on the wall to call an attorney, say you will call him later instead. You should not waive your rights and do not answer any questions. You should always be polite to the Arizona police officer, only tell your name and where you live.

Anything that you say or do on the video will be used against you. Make sure that you conduct yourself in a polite and levelheaded manner. Keep in mind that you are on video; they cannot do anything to harm you. The officers are normally extremely professional, and they would not do anything to hurt you.

• Each subsequent conviction for DUI raises the bar, so if you’re on number two, you’re in deeper water than you were before.
• The more drunk you are can, to a certain degree, affect your case, so if you were pulled over while you had blood alcohol content which was two times the amount you would normally be charged with DUI for, then you have to think hard about hiring a lawyer.
• It doesn’t help at all if you weren’t alone while you were driving drunk, but while adults can choose to put their lives in danger, children can’t do the same, so if you had someone under 18 with you, there are also higher consequences.