If you are driving under the influence of alcohol with a BAC level of more than 0.08, you may get arrested for the offence; and if the court convicts you, you may have to face certain Kentucky drunk driving penalties. The BAC limit of under-21 drivers is 0.02, and it is 0.04 for commercial drivers.
Aggravated Dui
Kentucky is one of those few states that have imposed more severe penalties for aggravated dui. Following are some of the circumstances when a dui offence is considered as an aggravated dui:
- There are passengers under twelve years of age also sitting in the vehicle
- You refuse to take the chemical test
- The BAC level is more than 0.17
- It has caused an accident resulting in the death of someone or if someone has got seriously injured because of that
- On Limited Access Highway, you are found to be driving on the wrong way
- You are driving the vehicle 30 MPH over limit
First Dui Conviction In Kentucky
The first dui conviction in this state results in the following Kentucky drunk driving penalties.
- Community labor for two to thirty days
- Attending a court-ordered drug or alcohol treatment program for a period of up to ninety days
- Suspension of driving license for a period of one to four months
- $200 to $500 of monetary fine
- In case of aggravated dui, four days of jail term is mandatory; in other cases, the jail imprisonment period may range from just two days to thirty days
Second Dui Conviction In Kentucky
- Community labor for a period of ten days to six months
- One year of drug or alcohol treatment program
- Suspension of driving license for a period of twelve to eighteen months
- $350 to $500 of monetary fine
- In case of aggravated dui, at least fourteen days of jail term is mandatory; In other cases, the jail imprisonment period may range from seven days to six months
Third Dui Conviction In Kentucky
The following Kentucky drunk driving penalties are applicable for a third time conviction.
- Community labor for a minimum period of ten days and for a maximum period of one year
- Attending a drug or alcohol treatment program for a period of twelve months
- Suspension of driving license for a period of two to three years
- $500 to $1000 of monetary fine
- At least sixty days of jail term in case of aggravated dui; in other cases, you may be sent to jail for a period of one to twelve months
Fourth Dui Conviction In Kentucky
A fourth time dui offence in the state of Kentucky is treated as a felony offence and attracts the following penalties.
- Your driving license will be suspended for a period of five years
- $500 to $1,000 of monetary fine
- At least 240 days of jail term in case of aggravated dui. In other cases, the minimum mandatory jail term is 120 days; there is no maximum ceiling.
As per the Implied Consent Law in this state, you must take the chemical test when stopped under the suspicion of dui. Refusal to take the test will attract some immediate Kentucky drunk driving penalties that include 30 to 120 days of license suspension.