Florida DUI Arrest Information

The instances of drunk driving or driving under the influence of alcohol are increasingly becoming commonplace occurrences. Especially so in a State like Florida which is considered to be one of the more affluent states of the Unites States of America. The law enforcement authorities through out the state work hand in hand with the judicial system of Florida in order to minimize the menace threatening the safety of the numerous roads and highways belonging to the state of Florida.

While a few of the residents may feel that the legal system of the state imposes extremely severe penalties on drivers who have been convicted of a DUI charge, it has been seen that arrests as well as harsh punitive measures are necessary to regulate normal behavior and promote safety in the roads of Florida. The state police department of Florida and the Florida Department of Highway Security and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) coordinate with each other in trying to curb the drunk driving cases statewide.

The Florida police has the authority to detain any driver caught with an excess of 0.08% blood alcohol concentration levels on DUI charges. Detection of higher concentrations of alcohol in urine or breath is considered to be a DUI offense too. The limit is set at 0.04% for drivers of commercial vehicles. Withdrawal of the driver’s license is the immediate consequence of being detained on a DUI charge.

The legal process that follows will give you a ten day period to prove yourself before you can redeem your driving license from the Motor vehicles department of Florida. You are liable to lose your license for an indefinite period if you fail to contact the concerned department. It is, therefore, imperative to take the DUI laws seriously. The DUI records are also made public by the legal system of Florida and any breach of the law can well affect your career and chances of employment adversely in future.

Penalties for a Florida DUI Arrest

Driving with an unlawful level of alcohol in your system (DUBAL) can result in suspension of your driving license even if it is your first offense. A month’s time is usually given to a driver in order to apply for a hardship license from the Florida Department of Highway Security and Motor Vehicles. This law is applicable to all first time offenders as well as the second and third time offenders.

Being arrested on similar charges for more than three times in a row will make you ineligible for a hardship license. You are also required to enroll with the DUI School in order to be eligible for the said license. You will be required to take an examination before your license can be restored successfully. Fee for a reinstatement is usually $115 for administration charges with an amount of $35 being charged for reinstated.

Refusal to take a breath analyzer test or provide the authorities with a blood sample can be an offense in itself. Immediate suspension of license for a period of 1 year in case of a first offense and 1.5 years for subsequent offenses is the outcome of violating the DUI law. Request for a hardship license is usually not entertained if you have refused to take the tests on more than one occasion.

Installing an ignition interlock device has been made mandatory for most of the offenders caught violating the DUI laws of Florida. An eligible driver for a reinstatement license permanent or otherwise, is required to install the device under the law of the state. This law is now applicable to any Florida DUI arrest made after July 1 2002. While the vendors are selected by the department themselves, the entire cost of the installation is expected to be borne by the motorist.

All DUI convictions for the state of Florida impose a monetary fine on the offender along with a term of imprisonment as well as various corrective measures. While the fine is limited to $1000 for a first time DUI offender with blood alcohol level exceeding 0.20%, it goes up appreciably in case of the second and third offense. A mandatory period of 50 hours community service along with a period of incarceration also has to be completed by a first time DUI offender. The period of imprisonment or incarceration is limited to a maximum of 1 year in case of DUI offenders convicted for the first time.

Most of such offenders also get to serve out their sentences in a residential establishment like the drug and alcohol abuse treatment center instead of the more conventional form of prison house. Immobilization is yet another penalty that the state imposes on the DUI offender. While the vehicle is seized for a total of 10 days in case of first instance of drunk driving, the second and third offenses entail a period of 30 and 90 days respectively. The State of Florida considers the impoundment where the family of the convicted DUI offender has no other form of transport available.

The DUI convictions are classified as felonies or misdemeanors depending on the severity of the offense. While a person causing damage to property or minor injury to another individual will be treated as a misdemeanant, an offender is considered to be a felon when he/she is responsible for killing the victim or causes grievous bodily harm. Repeat offenders committing the similar types of crime consecutively for a fourth time is also considered to be guilty of felony.

Resources for Florida DUI Information

The Florida Department of Highway Security and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) can now be accessed over the Internet at http://www.flhsmv.http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/gov/html/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/contact.html. It is possible to get all the information from this official resource especially when it comes to the DUI laws and penalties that are imposed on violation. The public records office of the department is located at Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Neil Kirkman Building, 2900 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32399-0500. It is also possible to request the department for release of a specific public record by sending an e-mail to publicrecords@flhsmv.gov. A list of all the county clerks offices are displayed within the website http://www.flhsmv.gov/offices/ for your convenience. The offices of the highway patrol also maintain an official website http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/index.html.