New Jersey DUI Laws

You’ll get a New Jersey DUI if you’re stopped while driving a motor vehicle of any kind, or operating a boat, and you have a blood alcohol concentration (BAD) of .08% or greater. If you’re believed to be impaired because of alcohol, you’ll be asked to take a field sobriety test which includes things like touching your nose, walking a straight line and standing on one leg. If the officer still doubts your sobriety, you’ll be asked to take a quick Breathalyzer test which will allow the officer to see your BAC. If it’s .08%, you’ll immediately be arrested and charged with DUI. And if you’re charged with a DUI, you need to contact a New Jersey DUI lawyer immediately.

Consequences of a DUI in New Jersey

Being charged with a DUI can greatly affect not just your ability to drive, but things like your wages and even your home. Losing the ability to drive is difficult enough, but especially if you’ve had a DUI in the past, another DUI can mean a criminal record which can affect your ability to change jobs, and even your ability to travel to other countries. And if you have trouble paying the thousands of dollars in fines and fees, you can have your wages garnished and even have a lien placed against your home. You need a good New Jersey DUI attorney to help you avoid these things.

There are a number of things that can affect the outcome of a DUI arrest. Good New Jersey DUI attorneys known the things that can be done immediately to start challenging the arrest, including checking into the calibration of the Breathalyzer machine that was used and challenging its possibly faulty findings, as well as examining the steps the officer followed from the moment you were pulled over and asked to take a field sobriety test. You need a good New Jersey DUI lawyer on your side to make sure that you’re not being pushed through the justice system based on faulty and questionable BAD results or officer judgment.

New Jersey DUI Penalties

Getting a DUI in New Jersey , aside from the potential long-term consequences and the immediate loss of the ability to drive, is expensive and can be potentially bank-breaking. If you’re found to have a blood alcohol level of at least .08% but not above .10%, you’ve met the minimum level for a DUI arrest and conviction in New Jersey . But even at this level, even with a first offense, the conviction will cost you thousands of dollars.

First, you’ll lose your license for 3 months. You can be sentenced up to 30 days in jail, as well as 12 to 48 hours of community service. But you’ll also pay a fine that’s somewhere between $250 and $400 dollars. That’s already expensive, but that’s only the fine for a New Jersey DUI. There are other fees, like $230 to the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center , known as the IDRC. You’ll also have to pay $100 to the Drunk Driving Fund. Another $100 is required for the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Fund, the AERF. You’ll pay $75 to the Neighborhood Services Fund. And for the next 3 years you’ll be required to pay $1,000 per year as a DUI “surcharge.” All of this is for your first offense, with the minimum BAC.

If your BAC tests above .10%, you’ll pay all the same fees and surcharges, but your fine will be from $300 to $500, and you’ll lose your license for a minimum of 7 months to 1 year. For either of these arrests, having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle or boat carries another $200 to $250 fine. And any drugs found on you at the time of arrest carry a minimum $50 extra fine, and a minimum license loss of 2 years, plus whatever extra fines and stipulations the individual drug charges might carry.

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Second and Third DUI Offenses

Once you’ve been convicted of a DUI, another arrest within 10 years means a license suspension of 2 years minimum, a fine between $500 and $1,000, a $280 IRDC fee, up to 90 days in jail and more community service time in addition to the other surcharges and fees for a first conviction. A third offense in 10 years comes with a $1,000 fine, up to 180 days in jail and loss of driving privileges for a decade.

You can’t afford to not find a top New Jersey DUI attorney when you’re facing these kinds of consequences. Not only can the loss of license cause serious difficult in your life, it can make getting back and forth to worth difficult and expensive. An attorney will intervene on your behalf to try to get restricted home-to-work driving privileges restored. And a top New Jersey DUI attorney will start working on the case right away to help minimize the damage caused by a DUI arrest and protect your rights.