Monday, February 08, 2010

Florida Drunk Driving

You are Here: Florida DMV Home » Florida Drunk Driving

Also See: Ignition Interlock

Drunk Driving Penalties in Florida

If you drink alcohol and drive you dramatically increase your chance of being in a crash. In addition, if you are pulled over and the officer asks you to take a blood, urine or breath test you are required to comply. Florida has the "Implied Consent Law". When you sign your drivers license you have agreed to take these tests upon request. Refusal to take any of the tests will result in an immediate suspension for one year. A second refusal will result in an 18 month suspension.

2006 DUI Statistics

According to Florida DMV records there were 34,638 DUI convictions in Florida in 2006. That is a drop of 8 percent from 2005. As expected larger, more populated counties account for the majority of the DUI Convictions. Following is a summary.


2006 Florida DUI Convictions


Ignition Interlock

Florida law mandates that any driver convicted of a second DUI have an Ingnition Interlock device installed in their vehicle. A judge may order an Interlock installed on first convictions depending on circumstances. Read the details of the Florida Ignition Interlock program.

No one can drink alcohol and still drive safely. Drinking and driving causes accidents and deaths every day and therefore the penalties in Florida are very tough. If you drink and drive the result may be jail time, loss of your Florida drivers license, heavy fines, and much higher auto insurance rates. And a conviction will stay on your Florida driving record for 75 years.

Zero Tolerance for Drivers under 21

Florida has a Zero Tolerance law for drivers under 21. This means that any driver under 21 that is stopped by law enforcement and has a blood alcohol level of .02 or higher will automatically have their Florida drivers license suspended for 6 months. The .02 limit really means that you cannot have a single drink and drive. And that's the idea.

For drivers over 21 the legal limit in Florida is .08. Regardless of your age be aware that drinking and driving is considered a serious offense. Below we have summarized the penalties in the state of Florida for a first offense DUI, but the average cost including legal defense, fines, and auto insurance increases is $8000.

Florida Penalties for DUI First Conviction


Addtional DUI Convictions

The penalties listed above are for a first DUI conviction. With each additional DUI conviction the penalties in Florida are more severe. Complete details on Florida DUI penalties can be found in the Florida drivers manual.