Mo Money, Mo Money

Money, money, money! Do you know how much it costs when you get a DUI? Unfortunately, most people don’t. So, we’re going to talk about it!

Money is a valuable commodity, one that we do not give up easily. I don’t know about you, but I would rather be that person bathing in a bathtub of hundred-dollar bills rather than making it rain at people in the club.  Call me crazy, but I work hard for my money and I want to keep it, as I am sure you do too.

This is hard to do when certain life events happen, which they tend to do. Car breaks down, costs money. Pipe breaks in your house, here’s some money. Broke your leg and need surgery, so much money. Get a DUI – insert face smack emoji, crying emoji and all the cash sign emoji’s there are.

DUI’s are not cheap, don’t believe the person who tells you they are. There are quite a few steps that must be completed before you can get your license back and get those wheels rolling down the road again. You have jail time, court, alcohol assessment/counseling, traffic survival school, SR-22 insurance, and getting an ignition interlock. And these are just your basic steps.

So, let’s get right into it!

Jail time – Why? Well, you did get arrested right? Typically for a first-time offense you will only need to serve a minimum of 24 hours in jail. But it does depend on the severity of that offense. The higher the alcohol limit may determine a higher amount of jail time. This amount can add up to almost 6 months of jail time needed. And yes, jail time does cost money. Anywhere between $250 to $2,500! That’s a lot of dough. And not only dough, it’s your freedom as well. Your freedom of driving. Afterall, you can’t be out there driving without a driver’s license. Yup, you heard me. Your driver’s license gets suspended immediately following your arrest and can be suspended anywhere from 90-360 days! Again, dependent on the severity. OUCH!

Court – This is a typical follow up to jail, so don’t be surprised by this. And while I would like to give you an idea as to the cost of this particular step, it is hard to say. Each person is so unique that all I can say is the best thing to do is follow instructions and do what you need to do to get through it. Going to court will determine the necessity of completion and duration of the next few steps, so that’s a positive!

Alcohol Assessment/Counseling – You will be required to do a one-time alcohol assessment followed by a court determined number of counseling hours. Because it is court determined there is not a specific dollar amount to be given, however, it can cost up to $500. I don’t know about you, but my eyes get that big round look when I hear that number.  Good news is, you can choose to do your counseling on-line or in person. Which is pretty cool because personal options and choices throughout this process are few and far between.

Traffic Survival School – This is a one-time, mandatory, 8-hour class – no skips, no time cutting, no exceptions. It is 8 hours, on the dot, must be there on time, cannot leave early. So, make sure you are dressed comfortably, and you bring snacks. And while you’re sitting there you can mentally add up the cost to date and add in this new cost, which will be roughly $150.

Ignition Interlock – More commonly known as a breathalyzer. You know, that device you breath into to see if you can drive; we all know that one. These are not cheap, my friend. There is the initial, one-time cost to get the device installed which will depend on the company you go with. Then there is the duration that the device needs to remain in your vehicle. Again, all dependent on that dang court. A typical running cost for this will be anywhere between $60 to $120 a month. Those eyes just keep getting wider and wider huh?

SR-22 Insurance – Do you know what this is? I didn’t at first, and most people don’t. This is a form of insurance that you will need to get at about the same time you get your interlock device installed. It is meant to insure you specifically, not your vehicle, and you need to be careful because, depending on the insurance company you are with, you will most likely be dropped once they find out you have a DUI on your record. There are a few that won’t, Farmers Insurance is a great company that will be there for you. You will need to carry the SR-22 for 3 years and each year will run you around $1,000 up to $3000 or even more. It’s no picnic, that’s for sure.

A standard DUI – meaning a first offense, below a .15 blood alcohol content, and in a relatively low trafficked area – will total you at about $10,000. This is not cheap by any means, and it can definitely send someone into a spiral. And not just because of the money, though that is a big component. Getting a DUI can cause a ripple affect in your life. You could be terminated from your place of employment. If this happens your expenses can get even tighter. You won’t have a driver’s license. This can affect your social life, your everyday get around life, your family life even. Your family will find out about it, most likely. This can be a devastating situation in any family dynamic.

These numbers are basic. If you have gone through this before, if you blew more than .15 blood alcohol, or your circumstance was considered dangerous or extreme, these numbers will only continue to increase. But there is a silver lining to it all. You are reading this blog! No, the blog won’t do anything for you, sorry for the momentary hope. But I do have hope for you! Because you are reading this blog it means that you found our website, and if you found our website than you are halfway to making your life a little easier. Because that is our job, to make your life a little easier throughout the DUI process.

We are a FREE service (yaaasss, finally something free!) that helps get you connected to resources throughout your process. We know people. We know how to get you discounts and we know who to send you to in order to keep your costs low. That’s our job, and we love it! We will walk you thru every step of the scary, intimidating and expensive process so you do not waste any more money or time than necessary.  So, call us today and let us help you and your wallet out.