How to Access Washington DWI Records

Drunk driving is commonly known as driving under the influence, or DUI, and sometimes as DWI, or driving while intoxicated. In Washington you might be convicted of a DUI charge if you are driving and have a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or greater. If you are arrested under suspicion of a DUI or DWI and refuse to undergo a chemical test, this direct refusal of the state law might be used against you in court and result in harsher penalties.

If you need to obtain your own driving record or request information regarding someone else's record in Washington, visit the Washington State Department of Licensing page at www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/drivingrecord.html. At this site, you can also check to see if a Washington license is valid.

Someone arrested for their first DUI or Washington DWI charge may face up to one year of jail time, a suspended license up to 90 days, $5,000 in fines, alcohol education and the use of an ignition interlock device. A complete table of different levels of DWI charges and penalties can be found at www.courts.wa.gov/newsinfo/content/duigrid/DUIGrid.pdf. According to the Washington Legislature, a blood alcohol level of 0.08 may result in DUI charges, which are filed as misdemeanors. If someone has had four or more Washington DWI charges in their past, they will be charged with a Class C felony.
 

More information about DUI charges in Washington may be found at apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx. For more details regarding DUI charges against defendants under the age of 21, visit apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx. Further information regarding defendants who receive a court order to install an ignition interlocking device can be found at apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx.