A first-time DUI in Florida comes with many penalties, but the one you might be the most worried about is jail time. If you have never spent time in jail, the thought of spending any significant amount of time there can be overwhelming and scary, causing you major fear and anxiety.
Florida takes drunk driving seriously. Penalties for a first-time DUI conviction typically include a combination of driver’s license suspension, fines and possible jail time.
Yes, there is the potential that you can go to jail. Florida law allows a court to impose a jail sentence of up to six months for a first-time DUI conviction and nine months if your BAC was .15 or higher. However, whether you go to jail depends on the circumstances of your DUI conviction.
Factors influencing jail time
If your blood alcohol content was extremely high, you were driving with a minor child in the vehicle or your drunk driving caused an accident that injured someone else, the court may decide that a jail sentence is appropriate.
Although there are no guarantees, jail time is not usually imposed for a first-time DUI without any special circumstances such as these.
Even if you manage to escape jail time, you still face other consequences that can severely disrupt your life. Fines for a first-time DUI conviction in Florida range from $500 to $2,000. Your driver’s license will be suspended from between six months to a year.
You may also be required to serve probation for up to one year, participate in a substance abuse program or perform community service. Your vehicle could be impounded for up to 10 days.
As with determining whether to impose jail time, any of these penalties can increase if aggravating factors, such as the ones described above, are present.
Going to jail after arrest
No matter the situation, you can expect to spend time in jail immediately after your DUI arrest until your BAC is reduced to zero.
Most people cannot afford any potential DUI first-time DUI penalties, which is why it is important to begin building a defense immediately.