DUI or Driving Under the Influence is a criminal offense that can be punished with 10 consecutive days in jail and a fine of up to $1,250. If a person is detained and required to successfully complete any tests that show the presence of alcohol in the blood, and they refuse to do such tests, they can automatically lose their driving privileges for up to two years.
If a person is arrested and convicted of DUI charges for a second, third, or any other subsequent offense, their driver’s license will be automatically revoked. According to the Implied Consent Law, any person who applies for the privilege to drive a vehicle gives consent to a test called BADC – blood alcohol or drug content.
If a law enforcement officer suspects you are driving under the influence, they will request you to submit to the BADC test to measure the levels of alcohol in your blood.
The Normal Alcohol Levels in the Bloodstream
A blood alcohol test measures the level of alcohol in the bloodstream. This type of test is used for many purposes, including legal evidence, employment, testing for alcohol poisoning, etc.
Many states have different thresholds for what they consider to be normal alcohol levels in the bloodstream. The most common levels we see in most states are a BAC between 0.04% to 0.08%. Levels at or higher than 0.08% are considered impaired, and levels above 0.4% are potentially fatal and the affected individual is at risk of serious complications like coma or even death.
The Penalties for DUI if You are Under 21
Any individual under the age of 21 caught driving under the influence will face DUI charges. Most states have a zero-tolerance policy for cases that involve underage drinking and driving.
Bail Bond for DUI
Can you post bond for DUI? In most cases, yes. But, how can you post bail in a DUI case? If you have the total bail amount available to you in cash, you can pay the bail and get released until your court date(s). The posted bail amount is determined through various factors.
Since most people are unable to pay the total bail amount, they can obtain a bond through a bail bonds company to get released from custody. A local, reputable bail bond agent will be willing to post bond on your behalf in exchange for a nonrefundable fee that is equal to 10% of the total bail amount.
The bond for DUI depends on the severity of the offense, previous criminal history of the offender for drunk driving misdemeanor acts, and/or previous DUI arrests.
If the offender has been arrested for DUI for the first time, the bail is usually set at $1,000.
The second DUI offense normally has a total bail amount of $5,000 and the offender is likely going to have their license revoked. Additionally, a second DUI offense can lead to 90 days in jail and every subsequent DUI charge leads to a higher bail amount and harsher penalties.
Many states impose penalties and different bail bond amounts for extreme DUI criminal cases as well.
- The first offense in extreme DUI cases applies to people who have a BAC that was measured at 0.15 or higher. The bail amount for this type of offense is often as high as $2,500. In addition to having a higher bail amount, the offender is likely to be asked to complete community service and equip any vehicle in their possession with a certified Ignition Interlock Device.
- Second and subsequent offenses are punishable with up to $3,500 in fees, loss of driving privileges for 12 months, and up to 120 days in jail.
The aggravated DUI category applies to offenders who committed an additional crime while driving under the influence. Some of the potential factors that lead to an aggravated DUI charge are below:
- When a person under 15 is present in the vehicle at the time of committing DUI.
- Refusal to submit an alcohol test while driving with an ignition interlock device.
- When the person commits a third DUI crime in a span of 84 months.
The penalties for this type of crime are up to 2 years in jail and additional penalties like revoking the driving license for a year, performing community service, and/or undergoing alcohol screening.
Additional bail amounts for various DUI offenses:
- DUI Manslaughter – it’s a severe crime that has a minimum bail of $20,000; it can be higher in many circumstances.
- DUI with Property Damage or Injury – the bail amount ranges from $2,000 to $5,000.
- Flee and Elude – involves a fleeing attempt that might end up with a bail bond of $5,000.
The Bail Amount
The bail amounts will be determined by the judge, on a bail schedule. Bail is the money a defendant can pay to get out of jail and await further instructions from the court for given court dates.
The bail for a DUI is a warranty or a way of securing the agreement of the defendant that they will appear in court when the trial starts and abide by particular conditions. If the defendant fails to abide by these rules and doesn’t appear in court, they might forfeit their bail amount paid or be returned to jail while they await trial.
Contact a Bail Bondsman
If you or a family member is arrested for driving under the influence, make sure to contact a bail bondsman to post bond and get out of jail. Once you have been released from jail, hire a defense attorney that specializes in DUI charges to prepare a DUI defense argument.
A bail bondsman will post bond on your behalf for a nonrefundable fee that is equal to 10% of the full amount of the bail. The amount you’ll need to pay a bail bondsman to post a bond for DUI can be calculated using our DUI bail bonds calculator.