Florida DUI Penalty Chart (2023 Edition)

Florida imposes strict penalties for DUI offenses, including jail time, license suspension, vehicle impoundment, community service, installation of breath alcohol ignition interlock devices, and fines. If you or a loved one have been charged with a DUI in Florida, O’Mara Law Group’s experienced attorneys can help defend you.

Written and edited by our team of expert legal content writers and reviewed and approved by Attorney Mark O’Mara

Content last updated on: July 3, 2024

Florida drivers who are charged with driving under the influence (DUI) face strict penalties for the first, second, third, and fourth offenses, quantified in the DUI penalty chart below. Depending on your blood alcohol level, whether there were other passengers in your car, and the severity of injuries caused, penalties may include:

  • Fines
  • Jail time
  • Vehicle impoundment
  • Monthly reporting
  • Community service
  • Installation of a breath alcohol ignition interlock device

If you have committed multiple DUI offenses, you will face even stricter penalties, including longer jail times, mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device, and heavier fines. For more information, consult a Florida DUI penalties chart to learn the consequences of each charge.

At the O’Mara Law Group, our experienced DUI attorneys can help you navigate the legal complication of driving under the influence. If you are facing a DUI in Orlando or across Central Florida, contact us for skilled representation.

Florida DUI Penalty Chart

Florida law has different penalties for first, second, third, and fourth offenses. It can be difficult to understand which penalties apply.

Type of OffenseFinesJail SentenceProbationLicense RevocationVehicle Impoundment or ImmobilizationInstallation of Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock DeviceOther Penalties
First offense$500 to $1,000One day to six monthsUp to one year180 days to one year10 daysNot required
  • Community service for 50 hours or an additional fine of $10 for each hour of required community service
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
First offense — minor in the vehicle or a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent$1,000 to $2,000One day to nine monthsUp to one year180 days to one year10 daysSix months
  • Community service for 50 hours
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Second offense within five years$1,000 to $2,00010 days to nine monthsUp to one yearAt least five years30 daysOne year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Second offense within five years — with a minor in the vehicle or a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent$2,000 to $4,00010 days to 12 monthsUp to one yearAt least five years30 daysOne year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Second offense outside of five years$1,000 to $2,000One day to nine monthsUp to one year180 days to one year10 daysOne year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Second offense outside of five years — with a minor in the vehicle or a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent$2,000 to $4,000One day to 12 monthsUp to one year180 days to one year10 daysOne year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Third offense within 10 years of prior conviction$1,000 to $5,00030 days to 12 monthsUp to one yearAt least 10 years90 days Two-year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Third offense within 10 years of prior conviction — with a minor in the vehicle or a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent$4,000 to $5,00030 days to 12 monthsUp to one yearAt least 10 years90 daysTwo-year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Fourth offense or greater$2,000 to $5,000One day to five yearsUp to five yearsPermanent revocation90 daysFive-year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school
Fourth offense or greater — with a minor in the vehicle or a blood alcohol level of 0.15 percent$2,000 to $5,000One day to five yearsUp to five yearsPermanent revocation90 daysFive-year minimum
  • Substance abuse counseling and treatment as required
  • DUI school

Additional DUI Costs

Florida statutes require the court to assess and implement the following administrative court costs and penalties:

  • A surcharge equivalent to 5 percent of your Crime Compensation Trust Fund fines
  • $225 or $60, depending on whether your offense is a felony or misdemeanor
  • A court cost up to the amount of your fine to pay for court-ordered drug abuse and alcohol programs
  • A $135 court case to support the Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Program Trust Fund and criminal lab systems in Florida
  • A $15 fee for the county clerk and the County Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Trust Fund

You must also pay others to transport you while your license is suspended.

What Constitutes a DUI in Florida?

According to the state’s DUI statutes, you can be arrested and charged with driving under the influence a DUI offense if you are driving a vehicle and:

  • You are under the influence of drugs, intoxicating liquor, or both, to the extent that your normal faculties have been impaired, or
  • Your blood or breath alcohol concentration or level is 0.08 percent or over

The laws differ slightly for individuals who drive commercial vehicles or are under 21. Anyone under 21 can be charged with a DUI if they have a blood alcohol level of 0.02 percent or higher, and a commercial driver can be charged with a DUI if they have a blood alcohol level of 0.04 percent or higher.

How a Florida DUI Lawyer Can Help

Florida DUI costs can be significant and consequences can be long-lasting. Depending on the offense, you may be fined or imprisoned. The state will also revoke your license. If you commit a fourth DUI offense, your license will be permanently revoked, which means you must rely on others or public transportation to get to work, buy necessities, or travel. 

Fortunately, a tenacious and knowledgeable attorney from O’Mara Law Group can help you. We will thoroughly analyze your case, prepare and file paperwork on time, and represent you at trial so that your mistake does not severely affect your life. We will work tirelessly to help get your case dismissed, reduce your probation, and return your license.

Dismissal

If the officer who arrested you did not follow proper guidelines, your case might be dismissed. According to federal and state law, an officer can stop a vehicle only if they have:

  • Probable cause that the driver committed a crime
  • A reasonable suspicion that the driver is committing a traffic infraction

Reducing Probation

We can also help you receive a shorter probation period. 

For instance, we can help you claim wet reckless for a shorter probation period. Also called “wet and reckless,” wet reckless is a plea bargain that reduces DUI penalties to reckless driving charges.

Consult a DUI Chart to Understand the Consequences of Driving Under the Influence

O’Mara Law Group’s trusted DUI attorneys are here to help if you’ve been charged with a DUI offense in Florida. We will:

  • Analyze the event and your resulting needs
  • Request a hearing  with the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department to reinstate your license
  • Investigate the prosecutor’s case against you
  • Locate and speak with any witnesses
  • File all paperwork on and ahead of time
  • Present motions
  • Represent you at trial

To learn more about your options, contact O’Mara Law for experienced representation. You can fill out this online form or call our Orlando office at (407) 988-0350.

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