DUI Penalties in Seattle
Penalties
The criminal charge of DUI in Seattle is a gross misdemeanor and you will receive the maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. Sometimes a mandatory minimum penalty will be given, depending on any prior convictions you might have in the last 7 years. Also taken into consideration is if you took a breath test and what those results were and if you refused to take a breath test. The following are the penalties given:
First Offense / No priors in the last 7 years
- Breath test under .15% or no test (not a refusal)
- 1 day minimum in jail or 15 days electronic home detection
- $823 total minimum fine w/ statutory assessment
- 90-day license suspension
- SR-22 insurance for 3 years
- License on probation for 5 years after reinstatement
- Probation monitoring by the court for up to 5 years
- Ignition interlock for a minimum of 1 year
- Alcohol evaluation and treatment as determined by the court
- Breath test .15% or higher or refusal to take test
- 2 days minimum in jail or 30 days electronic home detection
- $1,078 total minimum fine w/ statutory assessment
- 1 year license suspension – breath test over .15
- 2 years revocation if refusal
- SR-22 insurance for 3 years
- License on probation for 5 years after reinstatement
- Probation monitoring by the court for up to 5 years
- Ignition interlock for a minimum of 1 year
- Alcohol evaluation and treatment as determined by the court
Second Offense / One prior in the last 7 years
Breath test under .15% or no test (not a refusal)
- 30 days minimum in jail PLUS 60 days electronic home detection
- $1,078 total minimum fine w/ statutory assessment
- 2 years license revocation
- SR-22 insurance for 3 years
- License on probation for 5 years after reinstatement
- Probation monitoring by the court for up to 5 years
- Ignition interlock for a minimum of 1 year but as much as 5 years
- Alcohol evaluation and treatment as determined by the court (up to 2 years)
- Breath test .15% or higher or refusal to take test
- 45 days minimum in jail PLUS 90 days electronic home detection
- $1,503 total minimum fine w/ statutory assessment
- 2 years license revocation for breath test over .15
- 3 year revocation if refusal
- SR-22 insurance for 3 years
- License on probation for 5 years after reinstatement
- Probation monitoring by the court for up to 5 years
- Ignition interlock for a minimum of 1 year but up to 5 years
- Alcohol evaluation and treatment as determined by the court (up to 2 years)
Third Offense / Two priors in the last 7 years
Breath test under .15% or no test (not a refusal)
- 90 days minimum in jail PLUS 120 days electronic home detection
- $1,928 total minimum fine w/ statutory assessment
- 3 years license revocation
- SR-22 insurance for 3 years
- License on probation for 5 years after reinstatement
- Probation monitoring by the court for up to 5 years
- Ignition interlock for a minimum of 1 year but as much as 10 years
- Alcohol evaluation and treatment as determined by the court (up to 2 years)
- Breath test .15% or higher or refusal to take test
- 120 days minimum in jail PLUS 150 days electronic home detection
- $2,778 total minimum fine w/ statutory assessment
- 4 years license revocation
- SR-22 insurance for 3 years
- License on probation for 5 years after reinstatement
- Probation monitoring by the court for up to 5 years
- Ignition interlock for a minimum of 1 year but up to 10 years
- Alcohol evaluation and treatment as determined by the court (up to 2 years)
Protecting Your License
- If you are arrested for a DUI and your breath sample is .08 or higher (.02 for minors), or you refuse to take a breath test, your license will immediately be suspended or revoked.
- Washington law says that even if your DUI charge is dismissed, your license will still be suspended or revoked.
- You must respond to this charge by requesting a hearing within 30 days to avoid losing your license.
- The Washington State Department of Licensing accepts only cash or personal checks for payment of renewal or licensing fees.
In Conclusion
The Seattle DUI attorneys at The Law Offices of Ima Good Attorney are dedicated to aggressively defending you during this very stressful time. A DUI offense has serious ramifications and we have the experience in dealing with criminal charges and administrative hearings.
Everyone deserves a fair trial and we have a proven record of success.