Rhode Island DUI Penalties

Rhode Island DUI laws and penalties

Each State within the United States has been given the 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 Rhode Island, and their penalties. To begin with, Rhode Island has what is known as a five year “Lookback Period”. This means that any previously acquired within the past five years is now relevant to the sentencing process you are facing with your current DUI charges. This is also known as a “washout” period.

What constitutes a high BAC for a DUI in North Dakota?

Under 21: .02% - persons under 21 with a BAC greater than .02% but less than .1% can be convicted of "driving while impaired" and have their license suspended for 1-3 months (first offense), 3-6 months (second offense), plus fines and community service. Persons under 18 have mandiatory license suspension until age 21.
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 are severely hindered and not capable of bouncing back to what you are able to perform without alcohol in your system. Each person is different and their tolerance level 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 chemical tests on suspecting DUI offenders. If you are pulled over and are requested to take a chemical test, Rhode Island 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, the penalties are as follows:

First Offense: 6 month license suspension, 10 - 60 hours community service, $200 - $500 fine
Second Offense: 1 year license suspension, 60 - 100 hours community service, $600 - $1,000 fine, possibly jail
Third Offense: 2 - 5 year license suspension, 100 hours community service, $800 - $1,000 fine, possibly jail

What are the penalties within the Rhode Island DUI laws?

There are several penalties within the Rhode Island DUI laws, and we will explore them in this section. Should you be pulled over and found guilty of Driving Under the Influence of alcohol with the boarders of the State of Rhode Island, the following penalties are what you will be facing:

Penalty of Jail

First Offense: Up to 1 year
Second Offense: 10 days to 1 year
Third Offense: 1 to 5 years

Penalties and Fines

First Offense: $100 to $500
Second Offense: $400 to $1,000
Third Offense: $400 to $5,000

Penalty of License Suspension

First Offense: 2 to 18 months
Second Offense: 1 to 2 years
Third Offense: 2 years minimum

Penalty of Ignition Interlock Device (IID)

First Offense: No
Second Offense: Yes
Third Offense: Yes

Conclusion

It is important to note that laws change, as well as their interpretation an application of them. Due to the fact that there are multiple jurisdictions 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 in your best interest to retain the services of a professional and experienced lawyer who is well versed on the DUI law within the State of Rhode Island, as well as being 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 - Rhode Island DUI law )