A driving under the influence, or DUI, conviction in California comes with a lot of tough penalties. Depending on the severity of your case, you could lose your freedom by going to jail. You lose your driving privileges. Since driving in California is a privilege, not a right, your license can be suspended even if you are not convicted of DUI.

You may have to pay money you do not have because of:

  • Public transportation or ride sharing costs.
  • Increased insurance fees. For instance, your insurance premiums may rise up to $10,000 for the first five years after your DUI conviction.

Those are some of the costs of having a DUI conviction. The following are the real costs associated with having a DUI conviction on your record which can range as low as $9,000 to as high as $24,000:

Court fines and fees

Court fines and fees up to $2,000 can be assessed. Each time you are convicted of a DUI, the fees and fines increase. The amount of fines you are assessed also increases if you have a felony DUI conviction. You see, the first time you are convicted of DUI it is a misdemeanor if there are no aggravating factors. However, when you seriously injure someone and are convicted of DUI, you can pay up to $5,000 in fines.

DMV Hearing Costs

After a DUI arrest, you have 10 days to request a Department of Motor Vehicle hearing. This hearing determines whether you can keep your driver’s license. The hearing is held because your driving privileges are automatically suspended because of the DUI arrest. Should you lose, you will have a $125 reissue fee after your suspension has ended.

Ignition Interlock Device Fees

You may to have an ignition interlock device installed on your vehicle. An interlock device is placed on your vehicle to prevent you from drinking and driving. In order to drive the vehicle, you have to provide a clean breath sample. A clean breath sample means that you blow into the tube connected to the device. If it detects no alcohol, the engine starts.

The interlock device must be installed on each vehicle you intend to drive. The fees to install can be as low as $25. Unfortunately, you may pay up to $200. Remember the installation fee is for each car. So if you drive two vehicles, you can pay up to $200.

Community Service

The cost of community service varies. If you are sentenced to community service, you may not have to pay community service. However, if you cannot complete community service, you will pay a fine.

Vehicle Impound Costs

As you know, when you are arrested your vehicle is typically towed or impounded. The only way to get it pay is to pay several hundred dollars. The specific amount you will pay depends on:

  • How much time was spent to impound your vehicle, or labor cost.
  • The impound lot.

DUI Educational Treatment or Program

The judge over your case may decide you should attend a court-ordered alcohol or drug treatment program. The cost for enrolling varies.

Remember that the real cost of a DUI conviction varies. If there are any aggravating factors involved with your case, the costs will increase. These aggravating factors are a:

  • Passenger in your vehicle being 14 years old or younger.
  • Blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, at 0.15 percent or higher.

If you were charged with DUI, keep in mind that you may pay these costs—if convicted. The Law Offices of Jonathan Franklin are here for you. Franklin and his team are committed to fighting your DUI charge with the goal of getting the charges reduced or dropped. Contact Jonathan Franklin today to schedule a free consultation.