There are a number of different ways in which a person can determine what is the cost of a DUI in California. The cost of drunk driving attorneys varies depending on the lawyer used. The average $16,000 first offense DUI costs vary because of the lawyer, the criminal charges and the details of the case and what took place during your particular arrest, and then determining how to fight it successfully.
A drinking and driving conviction comes with a heavy price tag of fees, and penalties. It is an offense to drive, attempt to drive, or be in charge of any vehicle on a road or public place in California if the level of alcohol, drugs, or medication in your breath, blood or urine exceeds the prescribed limit or .08 BAC, and can therefore be charged with the high cost of a DUI in California.
These links below will navigate you to the specific type of case which pertains to your own situation, and the instructions needed to effectively dismiss this particular charge at your court date.
- BAC/Drug Blood Test Results Case
- Blowing Over the Legal Alcohol Limit Case
- Refusal to Blow or Take Sobriety Tests Case
In addition to the risk involved to others on the road, those who are arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) face a series of expensive monetary penalties and fines to regain the privilege of driving. However if you take the proper courses of action and get the proper help in time in fighting a California DUI case as we help explain, it still may be possible for you to drastically minimize the severe California DUI/DWI consequences and costs involved when a CA drunk or drugged driving conviction can potentially be dropped or dismissed altogether.
- What Are The Costs & Fines Of A First DUI Offense In California?
- What Is The Cost Of A Second, Third, Or Repeat DUI Offense?
- The Cost Of A DUI In California If Not Successful Defending A Charge
- Ignition Interlock Cost In California For A DUI 1st Offense
- The Cost Of A DUI If Pleading Guilty With A Lawyer
- The Cost Of DUI Offense Charges If Defending Yourself In Court
- What Is The Cost Of A Retainer For A California DUI Case?
- What Is The Best Way To Find Out About The Total DUI Cost?
- How To Avoid The High Cost Of A California Conviction Or Guilty Plea
What are the costs and fines of a first DUI in California I will face?
Following a first-time DUI or drunk driving arrest offense charge in California, you will first have to post bail, ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars, which will be returned to you minus the nonrefundable CA DUI fees if you appear as scheduled in court. You may also have to pay towing and impound fees to get your car back after a California DUI charge, which will likely cost a minimum additional fee of $100 to $200 just to get your car back.
Upon conviction of a first DUI offense in CA, you will pay a high fine, which can run from hundreds to thousands of dollars, including additional California DUI court costs or Ignition Interlock Device fees. For example, the fines for a first-time DUI/DWI offense in California is up to $2000, and up to as high as $10,000 if there was a juvenile in the vehicle.
What Is The Cost Of A Second, Third, or Repeat DUI Offense In California?
The penalties and DUI costs in California for a second, third, or repeat DUI charges are based on several factors, including a judge’s interpretation of the specific facts of each case. Fines and jail terms can also be affected by whether any bodily harm, property damage, or dangerous driving resulted from the driver’s actions.
A first DUI conviction in CA already has a high costs and fines, along with the potential of a license suspension. A second DUI offense in California within a 10 year period will increase the serious penalties and costs, plus a possible prison term and an extension of suspension time of your drivers license.
A third or more DUI in CA builds upon second offense DUI costs penalties in California. The revocation of your driving license is typically indefinite from a minimum of 10 years or permanent. Since driving under the influence laws and the cost of a DUI/DWI in California and throughout the country are always becoming more severe, many judges can give additional penalties to repeat multiple DUI offenses in CA.
The Cost of DUI in California if Not Successful in Defending Yourself Against a DUI Charge
If you are convicted of a CA DUI charge, a drunk driving charge will result in a variety of DUI costs and consequences in California, including:
- Loss of your driver’s license in CA for at least one year (perhaps longer)
- The loss of your driver’s license could restrict you from getting to your place of work, or obtain future employment opportunities. Also, if your position requires you drive you might lose your job.
- If you get an ignition interlock device, there are many California DUI fees and costs associated with an initial security deposit, monthly fee paid in advance, installation fee, removal fee, monitoring fee, as well as the DUI classes, treatment, and license re-instatement fees.
- A conviction of a DUI will cause your CA car insurance payments to increase. Also, if you are in an accident and are convicted of driving under the influence, the insurance company could cause issues with payment.
- If you are charged for a second DUI offense charge in California, a conviction will result in high CA DUI costs and fines, and typically a sentence of jail time and minimum driver’s license suspension of at least three years.
Ignition Interlock Cost In California For A DUI 1st Offense
For even a first-time DUI offense in California, an Ignition Interlock Device and the cost for installation and maintenance of the device, is often part of the strict CA DUI penalties for a driver charged with drunk driving or driving under the influence. An Ignition Interlock Device is a machine that records your blood alcohol content (BAC) and allows the car to start only if your BAC is below a set limit. Ignition Interlock Device installation in California typically will cost $100 to $200, and the monthly rental fees range from $70 to $100. Regular maintenance and calibration will cost extra.
The Cost of a DUI in California if Pleading Guilty With a Lawyer
Pleading guilty to a DUI charge in California should be done with an attorney for several reasons. This is because many of these reasons include the fact that a CA DUI lawyer understands the techniques that can be used to receive a lesser sentence, or fight to dismiss the case when possible. Having legal counsel on your side is an asset when pleading guilty to a CA drunk driving charge, as they are able to:
- Meet with the prosecutor to find their position on sentencing and properly negotiate for a lesser charge in certain cases.
- By obtaining a California DUI lawyer to advocate for your sentence, you might be able to receive a sentence that reflects your individual situation. For example, a skilled DUI lawyer can promote an intermittent jail sentence rather than a consecutive sentence, or possibly a guilty plea as a first DUI offense rather than a second DUI offense in California.
It should also be noted that a free California public defender is available for those the court finds eligible, who cannot afford the cost of a DUI attorney in California, and also be used if you wish to make a guilty plea to CA DUI charges. The exact amount a California DUI lawyer will cost or charge you for a guilty plea will vary depending on a variety of factors, including how complex the CA DUI case is and whether it is a first, second, or third or more DUI offense charge in California. They will require a sufficient fee in order to cover their review of disclosure, meetings with the prosecution, preparation of materials and court appearances.
The exact cost of retaining a DUI lawyer in California for a guilty plea will depend on the severity of your charge and the situation, which is another factor that having your arrest details online through us may help assist you in fighting to win your particular case, and minimize the cost of a DUI offense charge in California when successful in dismissing the CA drunk driving arrest charges against you.
The Cost of California DUI Offense if Defending Yourself in Court
It is strongly recommended that you retain a CA DUI lawyer rather than attempting to defend yourself in court. This is necessary as a California DUI attorney has the training and education to assert your legal rights appropriately in court. Without the expertise of a skilled DUI attorney, it is difficult for a defendant to operate in court without mistakes being made in regards to speaking to the judge, prosecution, or others such as the police or possible witnesses.
If you decide to defend yourself there is an advantage in saying “not guilty” and nothing more. The court still must prove that you are guilty of a DUI charge in California. Therefore, by saying nothing more than “not guilty,” the prosecution is forced to prove the DUI case against you, which they may not always be able to do. However, it should be noted that most often people who defend themselves, risk the strong possibility of hurting their case by not challenging evidence properly or by taking the stand, which could result in assisting the prosecution of their CA DUI case against you.
It is always strongly recommended that you retain an experienced California DUI lawyer.
What is the Cost of a Retainer for a California DUI Case?
A retainer for a CA DUI lawyer is when a client pays most of the DUI legal cost fee up front for hiring a California DUI attorney. This covers the fees and costs owed to your DUI attorney, as well as any experts or extra expense fighting your California DUI case may require. It is important to note that there are always possibilities of unexpected surprises during any criminal law proceedings, including California DUI cases. At times, extra California DUI costs can be identified if the case goes to trial. A DUI lawyer will require that you give them a retainer fee before they begin working for your California DUI case.
Trust is essential between a client and their DUI lawyer when a retainer is utilized. This means that you must choose your California DUI lawyer very carefully, and where we can help you by having an experienced DUI attorney in you area carefully examine your arrest details online, free through this site. Also, it is important that the CA lawyer you do end up choosing, has experience in the DUI field where they will be defending your case. You must keep in touch with your attorney and you should never be afraid to book an appointment with your lawyer to be updated on the progress of your California DUI case, as well as any past and future CA DUI costs.
There are also other possible California DUI costs and fees that could influence the outcome of your DUI case. Some tactics that a CA DUI lawyer might use could include the use of outside experts. Experts such as toxicologists, accident reconstruction professionals and other technical specialists could make the difference in the outcome if your California DUI case goes to trial. As a client you will be charged for any examination of breath machines, scientific experiments on the client’s body, preparation of reports, affidavits and court appearances. It is important to inquire about any experts your CA DUI attorney might use and any additional California DUI cost there might be for hiring them.
What is the Best Way to Find out About the Total Cost of a DUI in California?
The best way to receive an estimate of the cost of a California DUI offense and hiring a DUI lawyer to defend you against a CA drunk driving charge is to have your arrest details examined free online through us with a skilled DUI attorney from your area, or meet with an experienced DUI attorney you are familiar with face to face for at least one hour. This is necessary so that the CA DUI lawyer gets a full picture of the kinds of CA DUI defenses they can potentially use.
A DUI attorney needs time to review all of the facts and details, and then meet with you in order to give an California DUI cost estimate, as well as the possible number of days in court and the variety of expert witnesses that will need to be retained. A California DUI attorney cannot give you an estimate over the phone because they do not know the extent of your case until first having reviewed your particular arrest and case information.
How To Get The Best CA DUI/DWI Defense Options, And Possibly Avoid The High Cost Of A California DUI Conviction Or Guilty Plea
The main issue of fighting a CA DUI case and determining what is the full cost of a California DUI you will pay, is if the prosecution can successfully prove whether your ability to operate your vehicle was impaired by alcohol or drugs. For a DUI conviction in CA, the prosecutor must prove the details of its case as well as demonstrate that proper procedures were followed by police officers and other authorities during your arrest. This is precisely why the details of what took place during your arrest becomes crucial and can potentially be turned to your favor and used to help your case, and possibly avoid further California DUI/DWI costs, fees, fines, and penalties.
By first having your arrest details reviewed through us free online, a skilled DUI attorney from your area will look at all of the facts and help find the best defense options based on any flaws in the evidence collected, or any possible violations of your rights.
Depending on the California DUI offense charge:
• Was your blood alcohol actually over .08 BAC legal limit in California at the time you were driving or about to drive?
• Was your ability to operate a motor vehicle impaired as a result of drinking or drugs? What is the evidence?
• Did you refuse to provide a breath sample into a roadside breathalyzer device or a breathalyzer instrument at the police station?
• Were you really in care or control of the vehicle with the intent to drive while intoxicated? Were you not driving or even in the vehicle when arrested for a DUI/DWI in California?
In addition, were there any violations of your rights during your CA DUI arrest?
Good information and not waiting or hesitating to take action by having your arrest details carefully examined through us by a skilled drunk driving DUI attorney from your area is the key to a successful DUI defense strategy in CA. This will best increase your chances of avoiding the severe consequences of a California DUI offense case conviction, and possibly avoid further California DUI fees, fines, and high cost of a DUI in:
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