Alaska DUI Penalties

The penalties for a DUI charge in Alaska can be severe, and can range from jail time, expensive fines, community service and so on. A DUI case in Alaska can be based off of one of two theories: the first one being a violation of the state’s “per se” law (which means driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher) or secondly by driving while impaired (due to an intoxicant like alcohol or drugs). However, the impairment must be proven through the use of driving patterns, field sobriety tests, or chemical tests.

Following a DUI arrest, an individual must progress through two separate cases. The first is a criminal court case, where a defendant will have to appear before a judge, thus possibly resulting in penalties that could result in jail time, fines, mandatory DUI educational programs, and so on. However, it is important to note that a DUI charge in the state of Alaska is generally considered to be misdemeanor (though the charge may be viewed as a felony if it’s a third time offense or greater, or if it involved some form of bodily injury).

An individual might also be required to have an ignition interlock device installed in their vehicle, which is a type of breathalyzer test that will not allow the vehicle to turn over if the driver has a BAC of .02 percent or higher.

Alaska DMV case penalties

In addition to the court case, a defendant will also be subject to a Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) hearing where it is possible that their driving privileges may be temporally revoked. In fact, it is entirely possible for an individual to lose their driving privileges even if the DUI charge in the Alaska criminal court was dropped or successfully defended. If the driver had no prior convictions for a DUI, the revocation period is a maximum of 90 days.

Furthermore, an individual might also be able to get a limited license for work purposes, though this would only be for the last 60 days of the 90-day period. Finally, there are further consequences for repeating offenders, as a driver whom had one prior DUI may have a revocation period of up to one year, a driver with two prior convictions can have a revocation period of up to three years, and finally if an individual had three or more previous charges, the period can be extended up to five years. Also, repeating offenders have no opportunity to attain a work permit.

The penalties for a DUI in Alaska can be fairly intense, making it absolutely necessary for a defendant to contact an Alaska DUI lawyer immediately. In fact, the only manner in which to oppose the DMV’s ability to evoke one’s license is to contest the revocation seven days after the initial DUI arrest. Contacting an Alaska DUI lawyer is highly recommended as well as an intelligent means in which to deal with the penalties of a DUI charge in Alaska.