If you get arrested for impaired driving in Georgia, a conviction for even a first offense can potentially land you behind bars for a year. However, that is not all that you have to worry about.
Fines for a first offense range from $300 to $1,000, and there is a $210 fee to reinstate your driver’s license. Additional repercussions can include having your license suspended for as long as a year and having to do a minimum mandatory of 40 community service hours.
Those charged with another DUI offense within the five year period after their first offense have to spend a mandatory 48 hours behind bars. That is only the minimum; 90 to 365 days could also be the sentence handed down. You may also face a clinical evaluation for substance abuse and may be required to complete a treatment program on your own dime.
During the five years following a second DUI conviction, if you are convicted on a third impaired driving offense, expect the following:
— No fewer than 15 days in jail
— Fines between $1,000 and $5,000
— Having your picture, name and address published at your expense in the local paper
— Being deemed a habitual violator and having your license plate seized and turned in to the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety
— 30 days of mandatory community service
— Having your license revoked for five years
— Mandatory evaluation for substance abuse and possibly being required to complete a treatment program at your expense
Not every DUI arrest will wind up as a conviction, however. An experienced criminal defense attorney can help craft a defense to give you a fighting chance at an acquittal.
Source: Governor’s Office Of Highway Safety In Georgia, “Georgia’s Impaired Driving Laws & Penalties,” accessed Sep. 25, 2015