Missouri DUI Penalties

Missouri DUI laws and penalties

Each State within the United States is given authority to write their own laws on Driving Under the Influence, or better known as DUI. Within this article, we will explore the different laws within the State of Missouri, and their penalties. To begin with, Missouri has what is known as a five year "Lookback Period". This means that any previous DUI's you have aquired within the past five years will be relevant to your sentencing process that you are now facing with your current DUI charge.

What constitutes a high BAC for a DUI in Missouri?

Under 21: .02%
21 or Older: .08%
Commercial: .04%

There is never an acceptable time to drink and drive as your vision, reasoning, along with your mental capacity to make important decisions and judgments is severely hindered and are not capable of bouncing back to what you are able to perform without alcohol in your system. Each person is different and their tolerance for alcohol is severely unpredictable, making it impossible to say how many drinks are "normal" or not. This is what requires law enforcement to perform chemcial tests on suspecting DUI offenders. If you are pulled over and are requested to take a chemical test to determine your BAC, or Blood Alcohol Content, Missouri has what is known as an implied consent law. This means that if you refuse to submit to a chemical test you will be subject to a fine and automatic license suspension. For refusal to take the chemical test, your penalties will be as follows:

First Offense: 1 year license suspension
Second Offense: 1 year license suspension & IID must be installed
Third Offense: 1 year license suspension & IID must be installed

What are the penalties within the Missouri DUI laws?

There are many penalties within the Missouri DUI laws, and we will explore them in this section. Should you be pulled over and found guilty of Driving Under the Influence within the boarders of the State of Missouri, the following are the penatlies you will be facing:

Penalty of Jail

First Offense: Up to 6 months
Second Offense: Up to 1 year
Third Offense: Up to 4 years

Panalties and Fines

First Offense: Up to $500
Second Offense: Up to $1,000
Third Offense: Up to $5,000

Penalty of License Suspension

First Offense: 30 days
Second Offense: 1 year
Third Offense: 10 years

Penalty of Ignition Interlock Device (IID)

First Offense: Possible
Second Offense: Possible after 1 year
Third Offense: Yes

Conclusion

It is important to note that laws change, as well as their interpretation and application of them. Due to the fact that there are mulitple jurisdicitons within a State and each may choose to enforce the law in different ways, it is important to prepare for the unexpected. For this reason, it would be wise to retain the services of an experienced and professional lawyer who is well versed in Missouri DUI laws, and is capable of giving you the direction you need for your specific case, along with being current on all laws pertaining to DUI.

(Tags - DUI Tests - DUI Penalties - dui state laws - Missouri DUI law )