First Offense DUI in Vermont

The penalties applicable to a first DUI in Vermont include both criminal and administrative action by the courts and by the state licensing department, respectively. The state of Vermont also includes provisions, which may apply additional penalties to your DUI case, pending the nature of the arrest. These include specific penalties applicable to minors in violation of zero tolerance laws, commercial driver DUI violations, and refusals to submit under implied consent laws. The following outlines the applicable penalties and administrative action in light of a first DUI case for private drivers.

Administrative Penalties

• Administrative license suspension of ninety (90) days applied to first offense DUI arrests

• Reinstatement of license requires completion of court-mandated alcohol and driving education programs, an alcohol assessment, and if applicable, an alcohol treatment program

• Reinstatement for first offenders does not require use of ignition interlock device

Criminal Penalties

• First offense convictions carry no mandatory minimum requirement for incarceration, but drivers do face a maximum incarceration period of not more than two (2) years

• Fines for first offense convictions are capped at a maximum of $750. However, these fines do not include case-specific surcharges, such as the DUI surcharge (at least $160), nor do they account for costs incurred in completing terms of the sentence, reinstatement of license, or any other costs of the DUI case

• DUI convictions remain on driver’s record permanently and can influence sentencing of subsequent DUI convictions indefinitely

Getting Legal Help

The state of Vermont does not expressly prevent defendants from negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors, which reduces the DUI charge to a lesser, potentially non-criminal offense. However, the ability to negotiate a favorable plea bargain, or even obtain dismissal of pending criminal charges, will be contingent upon the use of legal counsel and the case-specific nature of each DUI case. For more information and insight, consult with a Vermont DUI lawyer today.