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How much will a DUI cost me in Virginia?

The first thing most people are concerned about when they are charged with a DUI offense is whether they need an attorney. Then, most people ask the question we’ve asked in our post title: How much will a DUI cost me in Virginia? In today’s post, it’s a question we’d like to offer an answer to.

The first thing to know is that there is not a flat fee assigned to all DUI charges. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the charge filed by police and whether you have been convicted in the past for a prior drunk-driving offense, the amount of fines you pay vary greatly. On top of that, depending on if your case goes to trial, you may pay a lot in court and legal fees.

One thing is certain with DUIs though: the cost of a conviction is not just measured in how much you will pay out of pocket but rather on other factors such as how long you could be sentenced to jail or prison, whether imprisonment could cost you your job or your license, and whether an ignition interlock device will need to be installed on your vehicle. For a lot of people, these are all considered “costs” of a DUI because they can have just as serious of an impact on a person’s life as a large fine, or legal and court fees can have.

Typically speaking, though, expect to pay at least $250 for a first-time DUI conviction and upwards of a few thousand dollars for successive DUI convictions. You can also expect that your license may be revoked for a specific period of time, depending on the charge, and that you may be threatened with jail time as well.

Source: The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, “Virginia Is Tough On Drunk and Drugged Drivers,” Accessed Feb. 23, 2016

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