What Are The Consequences Of An Out-Of-State Dui?

Not only is Florida home to 22 million residents, and is also a popular vacation destination. As a result, out-of-state DUI charges are common. To learn more about the consequences of a charge like this, read on and give our skilled Pensacola DUI defense lawyer a call today.

What is the interstate Driver’s License Compact?

How will drunk driving in Florida affect a driver who holds an out-of-state license? Having driving privileges suspended in Florida will probably affect the person’s license in their home state. Forty-five states (all but Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) are members of the interstate Driver License Compact (DLC) based on the idea that every driver in the United States has only one license and one driving record.

Member states report DUIs and all other driving arrests to the other states, allowing a person’s home state to take its actions against their resident’s driver’s license if that person is arrested for a DUI in Florida. Exactly how that works depends on the rules in the driver’s home state. Some states will suspend the driver’s license if Florida suspends it. Others won’t act unless there is a criminal conviction. Sometimes the home state imposes penalties equal to the penalties that would have been imposed for similar action in that state. To learn more about this, or if you have any questions, reach out to our firm today. We are here to help you.

What are the consequences of a DUI in Florida?

Florida’s laws regarding driving under the influence are tough, but they aren’t very different from DUI laws in other states. Under Florida Motor Vehicles Statute Section 316.193, it is illegal to drive while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, which are defined as including specified harmful chemicals or controlled substances. It is also illegal to drive with a blood or breath alcohol level (BAL) of 0.08 percent. Every state makes it illegal to drive with a BAL of 0.08 percent, except Utah, where the legal limit for blood alcohol is even lower.

A Florida state DUI does have a few provisions that other states may not share. This includes the implied consent law that conditions driving on the roads in the state on consent to take a chemical test to determine BAL levels. That is, anyone arrested for a DUI in Florida is deemed to have agreed to take a breath or blood test. If they refuse to do so, it is a separate offense termed refusal.

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