Florida State DUI Laws
Aside from the generally upheld illegal driving blood concentration level of .08 percent, Florida DUI laws set forth addition percentages for both commercial vehicle drivers as well as drivers under the age of 21. The percentage level for the former is the of .04 while it's .02 for the latter.
Florida DUI laws also employ an "Implied Consent Law," which makes it mandatory for all individuals possessing a valid Florida state license to partake in chemical tests to determine blood alcohol levels. Refusal to participate will result in license suspension of up to a year, with 18 month accumulations following each refusal from then on. In specific circumstances where harm or outright death is caused by a Florida DUI, the law enforcement officer may attain your blood by means of "reasonable force."
Florida DUI laws specify four areas of offense in terms of initial offenses as well as each subsequent one. In terms of the first Florida DUI offense, jail time consists of 6 months for blood alcohol levels between the range of .08 and .15, and 9 months for percentages above that of .15.
Fines range from $500 to $1,000 when blood alcohol levels reside within the previously stated limits of .08 and .15, while they increase to the range of $1,000 to that of $2,000 when levels surpass that of .15 or if a person who is underage, is also in the vehicle at the time. License suspension will last from 180 days to a whole year.
If blood alcohol levels do exceed that of .15, an ignition interlock device will be required to be installed within your vehicle. You will also have to complete 50 hours total of community service, with a $10 fine attached to each required hour. You may, however, be given the option to take part in an alcohol treatment program in order to bypass prison time. In addition to these penalties, your motor vehicle will be impounded for the period of 10 days.
For the second Florida DUI offense all amounts required within from the first offense increase by good measures as we also see when we come to the third Florida DUI offense. However, with this third offense also comes the classification of a third degree felony. In such a case, jail time will span up to a year with a mandatory minimum of 30 days if this subsequent conviction had occurred within a 10 year period of its predecessors.
In addition to this minimum amount of jail time, your license may be suspended for 10 years. Fines will range from $2,000 to $5,000 if within the limits of .08 and .15, and a bare minimum of $4,000 if levels are in excess of .15 as well as if a minor is in the vehicle at the time. An ignition interlock device is also required to be in your car for 2 years, while your vehicle will be impounded for 90 days.
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