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Penalties Kentucky DUI
Reader’s Question:
A friend of mine was charged for DUI here in Kentucky. I was convicted for the same charge over a year ago but in another state. Are the penalties on each state the same? What could he be facing now with his DUI arrest?
Frank
Lexington-Fayette, KY
Not all the states have the same penalties for DUI. In the state of Kentucky, criminal penalties associated with DUI become more severe with each offense a person accumulates. The look-back period is helpful in determining whether an offender will face penalties for a first offense or a subsequent offense. The look-back period is for five years. It will be considered a first offense if a prior conviction occurred more than five years ago. The penalties for a first Kentucky DUI offense are a $200-$500 fine, a service fee of $250, 48 hours to 30 days in jail, not less than 48 hours and not more than 30 days of community service if the offender is eligible, driver’s license suspension of 30 to 120 days, and 90 days of alcohol or drug assessment and treatment. The DUI offender is eligible for a restricted work permit after 30 days of a suspension.
Second offense penalties include $350-$500 in fines, $200 in service fees, seven days to six months jail time, not less than 10 days and no more than six months of community service, one year of alcohol and drug assessment and treatment and 12 to 18 months of license suspension.
A third DUI offense results in penalties including a fine of $500 to $1,000, 30 days to 12 months in jail, not less than 10 days and no more than 12 months of community service, 24 to 36 months of license revocation and one year of mandatory alcohol and drug treatment and assessment.
A fourth DUI offense is a class D felony in Kentucky so the offender must serve a jail time that may be from one year to five years in length, a mandatory jail sentence of 120 days. The license will be revoked for 60 months and the offender will have to undergo alcohol and drug assessment and treatment for one year.