DUI or Driving Under the Influence is one of the most common criminal cases in the US that might result in jail time. When a driver appears in court under DUI allegations, the judge will likely set a total bail amount for the DUI or DUI-related offense.
When the defendant is arrested as a first-time DUI offender, they will likely be granted a total bail amount that is equal to $1,000. However, different bail rules apply in different cities across the US. For instance, bail for a first-time offender in Los Angeles County is normally set at $5,000.
The bail for DUI varies and is determined by several factors, like the offender’s criminal history,
What Happens When You Are Pulled Over for DUI?
There might be several indicators to law enforcement officers that a person is driving under the influence. First and foremost, a person might be ignoring road signs, swerving between lanes, or driving at excessively low or high speeds.
Additional signs of impairment might be noticed by the officer, like glossy and red eyes, slurred speech, aggressiveness, or lack of motor functions.
If a law enforcement officer pulls you over and asks you to perform a test to determine the levels of alcohol in the bloodstream, and you fail the test, you’ll be arrested for DUI.
The bail can be waived or reduced if:
- The blood alcohol content levels are less than .08%.
- The offense doesn’t involve injuries or collision.
- The arrested individual has no previous criminal record, is a reputable member of the community, and has a steady job.
What is the Bail for DUI?
The bail for DUI depends on several circumstances and varies based on jurisdiction:
- If the person is a first-time DUI offender, there might be no bail at all or a minimal bail amount; the total bail amount can be anywhere from $500 to $1,000.
- If the person is a repeat DUI offender, the bail amount will increase proportionally to the number of DUI arrests.
- Aggravating factors like leaving the scene of the accident, a significantly high BAC result, and whether a child was in the car can increase the set bail for your DUI charges.
- If an accident has occurred while the driver was driving under the influence and caused an injury or death to a third party, it’s considered a felony offense. In cases like these, bail might not be granted at all, or will be significantly higher. In severe cases like this, the bail amount can be set at $50,000 and more.
How the Total Bail Amount for DUI is Determined
The bail amounts are determined by a judge, on a bail schedule. Each county has specific bail amounts for every type of crime, so a first-time misdemeanor DUI involves bail that is normally set at $1,000, while a felony DUI arrest can see bail amounts as high as $100,000.
While the DUI bail is set per schedule, you need to know that the judge might alter the total bail amount, depending on specific factors surrounding the case.
What is a Bond?
A bond is when a bondsman makes a pledge on the defendant’s behalf. The bail bond agent is promising the court that the defendant will appear for all court proceedings.
As of July 1, 2022, those arrested for driving under the influence offense will be required to install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle. This is part of the bond condition for the pretrial release.
But, there are exceptions to this new law that include:
- If the DUI is an illicit drug or prescription drug DUI case – the judge will explain the circumstances in court.
Posting the Bail
If the defendant chooses to post the total bail amount, the amount will be fully refunded if the defendant appears in all court hearings. The posted bail is a guarantee that the defendant will appear in court and a way to get released from custody.
Or, if the defendant doesn’t have immediate access to the required bail amount, further steps can be considered, like contacting a bail bonds company to post bond in a DUI case.
Contact a Bail Bondsman
Let’s say the DUI bail amount is set to $4,000 and you don’t have that amount upfront, you can contact a bail bonds agency and pay the bail bondsman a nonrefundable fee of $400 to post bond on your behalf.
If you know someone who has been arrested for driving under the influence and needs help with bail for DUI, make sure to contact a local, reputable bail bonds company. The bail bonds company will assign a bail bondsman who will post bond on your behalf in exchange for a nonrefundable fee that is equal to 10% of the full amount so that the person accused of DUI can get released from custody. If you are trying to determine the total amount you’ll need to pay a bail bond agent, use our online DUI bail bond calculator today!