RI DUI First Offense, Second Offense, and Third Offense

What are the Punishments for DUI?

All states carry strong drunk driving laws that can greatly affect your life if you are a convicted drunk driving offender. Rhode Island is no exception.

Punishments related to conviction as an RI DUI offender are generally based on two factors:

• Your blood alcohol content (BAC) at the time of the DUI stop. Penalties grow stricter as BAC increases
• You number of previous DUI arrests and charges. Specifically, charges are tiered according to:
  • RI DUI first offense
  • RI DUI second offense
  • RI DUI third offense

First-time DUI offense in Rhode Island

Rhode Island law states that individuals over 21 can expect to face one or more of the following penalties for a first RI DUI offense involving a BAC above .08:

Individuals under the age of 21 face all the same penalties if they are pulled over and their BAC is above .02.

Second DUI offense in Rhode Island

Penalties for an RI DUI offender are much stricter if you are facing a second Rhode Island DUI charge within 5 years of your first.  Like your first charge, your second DUI offense in RI is based off having a BAC of .08 or greater when you are pulled over.

Penalties for a RI DUI second offense include:

Third DUI offense in Rhode Island—felony charges

If this is your Rhode Island DUI third offense, you face felony charges and one of more of the following consequences:

• One to 10 years in prison
• Three-year license suspension
• Possible vehicle seizure

You may also face felony charges for a DUI arrest if you cause an accident and someone is seriously injured or killed. In this case, you can face up to:

• 15 years in prison
• A $20,000 fine
• Conviction on vehicular manslaughter charges

At the Law Offices of Richard S. Humphrey, we can help you confront your charges by building a solid Rhode Island DUI defense strategy.  Our attorneys are here for you.

DUI attorneys in Rhode Island

The Law Offices of Richard S. Humphrey understands that legal troubles are never convenient—especially DUI accidents, stops and arrests. In order to make our DUI lawyers in Rhode Island more helpful and more immediately available, we provide an active 24/7 call response service at 401-685-0054. Contact the Law Offices of Richard S. Humphrey today if you need help regarding a drunk driving defense in RI.