Certain Utah drunk driving penalties apply when you get convicted or plead guilty under dui charges. The state of Utah has enacted zero tolerance policy for under-21 drivers. While in other states, the permissible BAC limit for under-21 drivers is 0.02, Utah do not permit a single drop of alcohol. It means even if the BAC level is 0.001, an under-21 driver can be arrested on dui charges. For other drivers, the BAC limit is still 0.08 (for commercial drivers, it is 0.04).
First Dui Conviction In Utah
The first dui offence is treated as a class B misdemeanor and attracts the following Utah drunk driving penalties.
- Driving license gets suspended for a period of one hundred and twenty days. Ignition interlock device is not mandatory but may be required for license reinstatement.
- It is very much likely that the court will order supervised probation (not mandatory)
- Completing an assessment/ evaluation/ treatment program
- At least $700 as monetary fine; besides that, you may also have to pay various surcharges additionally
- Electronic home confinement or participation in a specific work service program for forty-eight hours or forty hours in jail imprisonment. Supervised probation may be ordered in case of electronic home confinement.
- The offence is treated as a class “A” misdemeanor if certain factors are involved, such as driving while an under-18 child in the vehicle and driver is above 21, a child under-16 in vehicle, and accidents involving bodily injury.
- In case, drunk driving results in serious bodily injury, the punishments are awarded for third degree felony charges.
Second Dui Conviction In Utah
The second dui offence is also a class B misdemeanor and results in the following Utah drunk driving penalties.
- Your driving license will be suspended for a period of twenty-four months.
- In order to get your license reinstated after the suspension period is over, you will be required to have ignition interlock device installed in all your vehicles for the next three years. If you fail to meet this requirement, your license will be suspended again.
- Supervised probation is mandatory this time.
- You are likely to be ordered to attend specific dui education series that may include assessment, screening, and treatment.
- Minimum $800 of monetary fine; additional surcharge may also apply
- Home confinement using electronic monitoring or participation in compensatory work service program for at least 240 hours or at least four consecutive days in jail.
Third Dui Conviction In Utah
The third time dui offence is treated as a third degree felony, where the following Utah drunk driving penalties apply.
- Two years of license suspension; ignition interlock device will be required for three years after license reinstatement.
- If prison term is not imposed, supervised probation is mandatory
- Up to 240 hours of inpatient treatment and aftercare
- At least $1500 as monetary fine if the prison term is imposed
- 62.5 days (1500 hours) in jail OR up to five years prison term
- Home confinement (electronic monitoring) is also likely
Refusal To Take The Chemical Test
Refusal to take the chemical test at the time of dui stop is also treated as a serious additional offence and it attracts additional mandatory Utah drunk driving penalties that include license revocation for eighteen months for the first time refusal; subsequent refusals attract two years of license suspension.