Washington State DUI Penalties

A Seattle DUI or Washington State DUI arrest is a serious offense. If you have been charged with DUI, you need to take immediate action to safeguard your rights. Your privilege to drive is also at stake and the Department of Licensing doesn’t wait until you have been criminally charged to begin the suspension process. Should you have any questions contact Seattle DUI lawyer Matthew Leyba for a free consultation. The following outlines the various mandatory penalties violators face with a Seattle DUI or Washington DUI conviction.

1st Offense (no DUIs w/in the past 7 yrs) and Breath Test below .15:

• 1-day jail (may be converted to 15 days of Electronic Home Monitoring)
• 90-day license suspension
• Not less than $350 (plus other court costs and fees)
• Ignition interlock requirement for 1 year
• Up to 5 years probation
• Alcohol assessment and follow-up treatment
• Denial of entry into Canada by Canadian Consulate

1st Offense (no DUIs w/in the past 7 years) and Breath Test above .15 or refusal:

• 2 days jail (may be converted to 30 days of Electronic Home Monitoring)
• 1-year license suspension (if refusal, then 2 years)
• Not less than $500 (plus other court costs and fees)
• Ignition interlock requirement for 1 year
• Up to 5 years probation
• Alcohol assessment and follow-up treatment
• Denial of entry into Canada by Canadian Consulate

12nd Offense (one DUI w/in the past 7 years) and Breath Test below .15:

• 30 days jail and 60 days of Electronic Home Monitoring
• 2-year license suspension
• Not less than $500 (plus other court costs and fees)
• Ignition interlock requirement for 5 years
• Up to 5 years probation
• Alcohol assessment and follow-up treatment
• Denial of entry into Canada by Canadian Consulate

2nd Offense (one DUI w/in the past 7 years) and Breath Test above .15 or refusal:

• 45 days jail and 90 days of Electronic Home Monitoring
• 900-day license suspension (3 years for refusal)
• Not less than $750 (plus other court costs and fees)
• Ignition interlock requirement for 5 years
• Up to 5 years probation
• Alcohol assessment and follow-up treatment
• Denial of entry into Canada by Canadian Consulate

3rd or 4th Offenses (two or more DUIs w/in the past 7 years) and Breath Test below .15:

• 90 days jail and 120 days of Electronic Home Monitoring at violator’s expense
• 3-year license suspension
• Not less than $1000 (plus other court costs and fees)
• Ignition interlock requirement for 10 years
• Up to 5 years probation
• Alcohol assessment and follow-up treatment
• Denial of entry into Canada by Canadian Consulate

3rd or 4th Offenses (two or more DUIs w/in the past 7 years) and Breath Test above .15:

• 120 days jail and 150 days of Electronic Home Monitoring at violator’s expense
• 4-year license suspension (same for refusal)
• Not less than $1500 (plus other court costs and fees)
• Ignition interlock requirement for 10 years
• Up to 5 years probation
• Alcohol assessment and follow-up treatment
• Denial of entry into Canada by Canadian Consulate

5th Offense (four or more DUIs w/in the past 10 years) regardless of breath test:

• Felony penalties

It’s important to understand these penalties are the mandatory minimums for a DUI offense. A misdemeanor DUI carries a maximum penalty of up to 1 year in jail and up to a $5000 fine. Now its pretty rare for a court to impose the maximum penalties in a typical DUI case, but it can happen. Hiring the right DUI lawyer can mean the difference between going to jail and not going jail. Contact our office today to set up a consultation to see what our Seattle DUI Lawyer, Matthew Leyba can do for you.