If you get pulled over for a DUI in Florida, the smartest thing you can do is reach out to a DUI attorney in Orlando. This is because being charged with a DUI can have long-term and unexpected consequences in your life, besides the fines, possible jail time, and the loss of your driver’s license. Once there is a DUI charge in your record, you may lose your job and have difficulty finding employment in the future. If you need housing, you may find it very hard to secure it. If you are divorced, you may lose visiting privileges or custody of your children. You get the picture. You have to do anything in your power to fight this charge or face several DUI penalties in Florida.

Getting Pulled Over for a DUI

In Florida, even if your blood alcohol level is below 0.08, you will likely spend 8 hours in jail before you are released. To know your BAC number, you will either be given a breath test at the scene or you’ll have to get it once you get to county jail. Since a DUI is considered a bondable offense, you may have to shell out between $100 and $750 to obtain one. No matter how expensive you find this, make every effort to bond out since your other option is to go before a judge. Once you are in front of a judge, they will likely place you on a supervised pretrial release, and you may soon start to experience many of the consequences described above and some others.

Florida DUI Penalties

According to the law of the state of Florida, you will receive the following penalties for a DUI:

Fines

For a first DUI conviction, you will have to pay a fine of between $500 and $2,000. However, if your blood alcohol level is .15 or higher, or if there was a minor riding in your car when you were pulled over, the fine will increase drastically and be between $2,000 and $4,000.

Community Service

A first DUI conviction carries a community service requirement of 50 hours and an additional fine of $10 for every hour of required community service.

Probation

A first DUI calls for a probation or incarceration period not greater than one year.

Imprisonment

The court has the authority to decide if you should go to jail. If you are sentenced, you may serve this time at a residential alcoholism or drug abuse treatment center. This time will be credited towards the term of your imprisonment. If this is your first DUI, the prison sentence will not be longer than six months. If your blood alcohol level is at or higher than .15 or if there was a minor riding in your car at the time, the sentence would increase to no more than nine months.

All of the above penalties increase considerably if you get a second, third, or fourth DUI conviction.

A DUI Conviction and Your Driver’s License

Even if this is only your first conviction, you will lose your driver’s license. You may have it reinstated if this is your first conviction, but you must have proof that you enrolled and completed a DUI course and treatment.

If you still have between 180 days and one year from your conviction date, you may be eligible to apply for a hardship license in your county. This must be done before the expiration of the revocation period. However, you must have completed DUI school and treatment before you can apply for a hardship license.

A hardship license has severe restrictions for its use, and you must prove that you need it for a specific reason. You or someone who depends on you is undergoing medical treatment, and you must be able to get to the appointments, or you run the risk of losing your job because driving is an integral part of it, for example.

Whether you apply for a hardship license or wait to meet the requirements to have your license reinstated, at the time you get it, you will have to pay an administrative fee of $115 as well as a reinstatement fee of $60. You may also have to prove that you carry bodily injury liability insurance and property damage liability.

Working with a DUI attorney may help you if you feel you were wrongfully charged or if there are charges beyond the DUI, such as an accident or reckless endangerment.