As determined by Washington state laws, any driver over the age of twenty-one who has a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher is guilty of a DWI. This limit is lowered for commercial drivers to 0.04 percent and 0.02 percent for all underage drivers. If you are arrested under suspicion of driving while intoxicated, you should contact a DWI Attorney in Mount Vernon WA at the Howson Law Office promptly.
Penalties for DWI in Washington
All drivers who are arrested under suspicion of DWI are penalized in three different ways. First, if you are arrested under suspicion, your driver’s license is suspended for a period of no less than ninety days and no more than two years. This suspension begins sixty days following your initial arrest. Your first course of action is to answer the administrative hearing request prior to a twenty day period following your arrest. A failure to comply will result in suspension.
Court Convictions and Searches
The court will search your records for the last seven years to determine whether or not you have any previous DWI convictions. The penalty for DWI without any prior convictions is one day to one year in county lockup, if your blood alcohol level was less than 0.15 percent. You will also receive fines ranging from $350 to $5,000. If your reading is above 0.15 percent you will receive two days to one year in jail and fines ranging from $500 to $5,000.
Department of Licensing Penalties
After you are convicted of a DWI, the DOL can impose their own penalties against you. They can order a license suspension between ninety days and four years depending on your previous record and the circumstances of your arrest.
Conditional Driving After a DWI Conviction
If the court allows you to drive after you are convicted, you are required to install an ignition interlocking device into your automobile. You are required to pay for the cost out of your own pocket. You are required to file a formal request for conditional driving and are required to maintain SR-22 insurance.
If you were wrongfully accused of DWI, you can hire an attorney to fight a conviction. Your attorney must present evidence that shows that you were not intoxicated. If you need a DWI Attorney in Mount Vernon WA today, visit the website now.
