How to Conduct an Indiana DUI Records Search

Driving under influence (DUI) is considered to be an offense in several states which is punishable by the state laws. This holds true for Indiana as well.  The detailed information on Indiana DUI laws, penalties and other legal facts are laid down in IC 9-30-5. When one operates a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any other intoxicants, it is highly likely that he/she will be impaired and therefore prone to accidents and injuries.

You will be held guilty of a criminal offense in Indiana and other states if the blood alcohol content (BAC) in your body measures .08% or more. It is considered that one cannot drive safely with that particular BAC level.

Apart from alcohol, the State of Indiana has similar laws for individuals who are caught driving under the influence of illegal substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, or marijuana. If you have taken drugs that are considered legal, you will still be counted as an Indiana DUI offender if your actions are impaired as a result of taking those drugs.

You will be arrested for DUI charges if you are not able to perform satisfactorily in the tests. Remember that you might also have to undergo a blood alcohol test to ascertain the blood alcohol content (BAC) in your body. If the BAC result is found to be .08% or more, you will be held guilty and convicted.

Indiana DUI Penalties

If you are arrested, you will face penalties that tend to get stricter with the number of times you are charged with a DUI offense. If you are charged for an Indiana DUI first offense, the court will sentence you to 6 months in a county jail, your driver’s license will be suspended for 6 months or 2 years, and you would require paying a fine of $1,000 and an additional sum of $1,950 for the penalty assessments. The court can also impound your vehicle for 30 days.

In case you are convicted for a second offense, third offense or a fourth DUI offense, within a period of 7 years, the penalties will be harsher. The second DUI offense is considered to be a class D felony which may lead to 5 days to 3 years in jail, up to 2 years probation, license suspension for 180 days to 2 years, and a fine of a maximum $10,000.

A third DUI offense will result in a class D felony that requires serving 10 days to 3 years in a jail. The accused also has to pay a maximum fine of $10,000, be on probation for up to 2 years, and suffer license suspension for 1 year to 10 years. The court will identify you as a habitual traffic violator and there will be harsh penalties for the future infractions.

It is a good idea to avoid driving if you have consumed alcohol or drugs that might impair your actions.

Indiana DUI Records

The Indiana DUI records contain the instances of an individual’s violation of the Indiana DUI laws. The DUI records in the state can be obtained from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The driving records can be obtained through postal mail, fax or even mail. The Indiana DUI records are available for screening by businesses for employment purposes and are available for public dissemination, except in cases where it has stated otherwise by the state laws.  The requester needs to comply with the legal requirements that govern the use of the records and their storage.

The driving records form would also require you to state the reasons that necessitate the searching of the records. The records can be searched by

•    A legal guardian of the subject of search or one who has a power of attorney that gives him/her the right to search the requested records
•    One who has the permission of the individual named in the records
•    An attorney
•    A law enforcement officer
•    An individual may check his/her own record
•    A media personnel
•    A government official

The request for access to the driving records can be made by filling out the form available from http://www.in.gov/icpr/webfile/formsdiv/53789.pdf. You can send the requests for obtaining the driving records at: Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Attn: Driver Records Requests, Indiana Government Center North, 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N405, Indianapolis, IN 46204.