Penalties of a DUI in PA Including the ARD Program

Many people are convicted of a DUI everyday. The penalties are getting harsher everywhere. In the state of PA, the legal limit for Driving under the Influence is .08% Blood Alcohol Content. If you are arrested and convicted for a first offense and your alcohol level is between .08-.99, you will receive a $300 fine and probation. If your alcohol level is between .10-.159, the person will receive 2 days to 6 months in prison, with a $500 to $5,000 fine along with your license being suspended for 12 months. You can also receive a restricted license after 60 days of it being originally suspended, if the judge allows. If your alcohol level is above .16, a person will be facing 3 days to 6 months in prison, the fine can be from 1,000 to 5,000 and your license will be suspended for 12 months, and if the judge allows you can receive a restricted license after 6 months from when it was originally suspended.

If you are arrested and convicted twice in the state of PA the fines can be between $300 $5,000 and jail time can range from 5 days to 5 years in prison, depending on the alcohol level. The judge has minimum and maximum sentencing ranges he has to go by. Also, for the secent and third convictions you have to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle for 1 year and you could have to attend alcohol screening and rehabilitation. A judge can also require a number of hours of community service. 

The cost of a Ignition Interlock Device is usually around $100 to install it and $75 a month to maintain it but depends on the provider chosen. The person who recieved the DUI must pay for it and they also have an Ignition Interlock logo on there drivers license so law inforcement knows they must have one on the vehicle. Ignition Interlock Device is used to test a persons alcohol content before or while they are operating a car. It is installed on the dash of the car and is about the size of a cellphone. The driver must blow into the device and if it shows the presence of alcohol, the car will not start. Some devices test the driver even after they have been driving for awhile. If the device detects alcohol, the car will will begin flashing its lights untill the driver shuts the car down. They also record the date, time, and alcohol content of the person. If you are caught tampering with the Interlock device expect to recieve a misdemeanor in the third degree and if conficted the fine will between $300 to $1000 and up to 90 days in prison.

There is a ARD program in the state of PA, if you are arrested for the first time and your alcohol content was between .08 and .099 and there was no accident you could qualify. The ARD program reduces fines and costs. Also under the ARD program you must attend Alcohol Highway Safty School, undergo an alcohol screening and participate in any recomendations. You must also complete 40 hours of community service. Apon completition of the ARD program, adult probation will forward a petition to the courts that your DUI be expunged.