How Much Does A DUI Cost In Orange County?

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DUI Attorneys in Orange County

This article addresses the financial costs or a DUI arrestin Orange County and the list of costs is not exhaustive. California Vehicle Code Sections 23152(a) and 23152(b) are the controlling sections for a driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol when there is no injury. Sections 23153(a) and (b) control when there is injury. If you are convicted of a DUI under any of these DUI statutes, the law will require a whole bunch of minimum monetary fines and fees. To make matters worse, a “penalty assessment” will be placed on any court fine. A penalty assessment is essentially a tax—a tax of about 200%.

Court Fines And Fees

For a typical DUI conviction in Orange County, you can expect to pay the minimum fines and fees, including penalty assessment, totaling about $2,100.00. If there are aggravating circumstances in your case you can expect to pay up to $3,500.00. But this is just the beginning.

Restitution

If you were in an accident or caused any type of property damage or injury, you will be ordered by the court to pay for it. If you don’t have the money to pay all at once the court will put you on a payment plan.

Legal Representation

In Orange County you can hire a DUI lawyer to handle a first-offense DUI for between $1,500.00 and $4,000.00. This is a “pretrial” fee and does not include a trial if one should be necessary. (Usually necessary only in about one out of ten cases) A trial fee, (including expert witness fee), can run between $4,000.00 and $8,000.00. The cost for an Orange County DUI attorney to handle a second-offense DUI usually runs between $2,000.00 and $5,000.00 pretrial

Alcohol Program

If you are convicted of drunk driving in Orange County you MUST enroll in an alcohol program in order to get your license back. A first-offender program typically costs around $450.00 for the three-month class and $800.00 for the six month class. For a first-offense DUI the higher your blood-alcohol on the blood test or breath test, the longer the class you must take. A second-offense DUI in Orange County will require you to attend an 18-month alcohol program with a cost of around $2,000.00.

Proof Of Insurance

A DUI conviction will also mean that the DMV will require you to keep an SR-22 (proof of insurance) on file for three years. This is something that your insurance company must electronically provide to the DMV. It typically costs around $25-$50 a month.

Bail

If you have a prior DUI within 10 years of being arrested for this one, you will also have to post bail in order to get out of jail while your Orange County DUI lawyer fights your case. The bail for a second-offense DUI is typically $10,000.00 which means you can hire bail bondsman to post it for you at a cost to you of about $800.00.

Ignition Interlock Device

If you have a prior DUI you may also want to install an Ignition Interlock Device in your car in order to get your driver’s license back early. You can usually can get a restricted license after three months for a second offense (instead of a full year suspension) if you have one of these installed. It costs around $500 a year.

To learn more about the consequences of a DUI or DUI defenses call the Law Offices of EJ Stopyro at (949) 559-5500 today or visit us at www.EJEsquire.com. We provide a free and confidential telephonic consultation with an experienced Orange County DUI attorney.

Law Offices of EJ Stopyro

Orange County DUIAttorneys
DUI Lawyer in Orange County