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Penalties for Florida DUI Conviction

June 9, 2020

When law enforcement stops you in Florida for a traffic offense or erratic driving, you could receive a charge of driving under the influence. You must have measured blood alcohol content above 0.08% or be noticeably impaired for this type of criminal arrest.

If you are facing a Florida DUI court date, understand the potential penalties for a conviction.

Initial DUI

With no prior history of DUI convictions within the past five years, you may receive:

  • 180-day to 12-month license suspension

  • Vehicle impoundment for up to 10 days

  • Up to six months in jail

  • Minimum fine of $500, maximum fine of $1,000

State law also imposes increased penalties for aggravated DUI circumstances. Even for a first offense, you can receive up to nine months in jail and a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 if you had a BAC higher than 0.15% or drove drunk with a passenger younger than 18.

Second DUI in Five Years

Penalties for a repeat DUI offense may include:

  • Five-year license revocation (one-year work license available for some offenders)

  • Vehicle impoundment for 30 days

  • Mandatory minimum jail sentence of 10 days or up to nine months (a year in cases with aggravated circumstances as described above)

  • Fines of $1,000 to $2,000 ($2,000 to $4,000 with aggravated circumstances)

Third DUI in 10 Years

With two previous DUI convictions in the same decade, you could receive:

  • 10-year license revocation (two-year work license available for some offenders)

  • Vehicle impoundment for 90 days

  • Mandatory minimum jail sentence of 30 days or up to 12 months

  • Fines of $2,000 to $5,000 (minimum $4,000 with aggravated circumstances)

In addition to these minimum sentences, you could receive up to five years in prison and financial penalties of up to $5,000 for a DUI accident that causes serious bodily harm to another person.