OVI Penalties for First-Time Offenders

The State of Ohio takes OVI offenses very seriously and strictly enforces certain penalties against offenders, even on the first offense.  If you are arrested and convicted of OVI in Ohio, your first conviction will earn you a court-ordered suspension, which will be between six months and three years. Further, penalties for the first time offense are set according to your blood alcohol content (BAC) level.  If the BAC was between .08% and .17%, there is a mandatory three-day jail stay.

Provided there is no property damage or injuries, fines for the first offense start at $375 and may go as high as $1,075. Of course, that is just one component of the costs of a first DUI offense. Another component of the first DUI offense is paying attorney fees, which could amount to much more than your fine.

Reinstating your license will cost at least $475.  If you’re required to take substance abuse or rehabilitation classes, that can cost from $100 to $500. If the court orders that you have an ignition interlock system installed on your automobile, the installation fee can be $100 and monthly fees between $65 and $100.

The biggest bite will likely be the one the insurance company takes, provided they will insure you at all, which could be between $1,000 to $1,500 per year for up to three years. The last component is your lost income. For this you can estimate between one and four weeks of lost time.  For purposes of illustration, the U.S. median income for 2014 was about $52,000 so a loss of from one to four weeks of pay would amount to between $1,000 and $4,000. This brings the potential costs of a first DUI between $6,600 and $16,000.

 

Potential First DUI Costs	Cost Range	Totals
State of Ohio DUI Fines	$200 – $1,100	$200 – $1,100
Attorney Fees	$2,000 – $5,000	$2,200 – $6,600
Substance Abuse Classes	$100 – $500	$2,300 – $7,100
Ignition Interlock System (3 months)	$295 – $400	$2,595 – $7,500
Increased Insurance Costs	$3,000 – $4,500	$5,595 – $12,000
Lost Income – 1-4 weeks	$1,000 – $4,000	$6,595 – $16,000
License Reinstatement	$475	$7,070 – $16,475

 

 

Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to figure in the cost of alternate transportation (bus, taxi, rail) while your license is suspended.

 

Pickaway County DUI attorney

Though these potential costs seem high, without good representation they could be even higher. If you are being accused of DUI or DWI in Pickaway County, you need the representation of a skilled and trusted attorney to protect your rights.  The Maher Law Firm can help make sure that your rights are protected. Founding attorney, Colin Maher is a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) certified practitioner for field sobriety testing, which is the same training police officers take. This training helps him evaluate and challenge the evidence collection involved in the field sobriety test process. Call The Maher Law Firm today for a free consultation at 614-205-2208 or contact us online.