Drunk or impaired driving in Kansas can result in some severe punishments and penalties that will affect not only your freedom, but also your finances. A blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 means that you will be arrested for a DUI and will face penalties. While this is for alcohol, if you are impaired by drugs, you will also be arrested and will face consequences. Your punishment will be extended for an additional one month in jail if you are found driving under the influence with a child under 14 in the car.
First DUI Offense
Your driving abilities will be severely restricted even for a first offense DUI. You will lose your license for thirty days and after this time, you will have a restricted license for an additional 330 days. As far as jail time, you will have to spend a minimum of 2 days in jail or you will have to be in 100 hours of community service, depending upon your sentence. As far as fines, you will be mandated to pay $500 to $1000 in fines and this amount will not include any fees that are associated with your sentencing, including the mandatory drug/alcohol assessment and/or treatment. Your car may be impounded for up to one year as well.
Second DUI Offense
In Kansas, there is a lifetime look-back period, which means if you have a second DUI offense, you will face even tougher penalties. You will lose your license for a significantly longer period of time, depending upon your BAC and other factors, must most of the time the period of time for a second DUI offense is for around one year and you may be mandated to install an ignition interlock device for one year after your suspension. Jail time can range from 90 days to 1 year, but you can be allowed out on house arrest or a work release program after two days. As far as fines, you will be responsible for $1000 to $1500, but this will not include some of the fees that are associated with carrying out your sentence. A court ordered treatment program will be mandated as well.
Third DUI Offense
For a third DUI conviction in a lifetime, you will be facing a felony charge and license suspension of anywhere from 90 days to 1 year. After this time, you will have to use an ignition interlock device for at least one year as well. Jail time will be from 90 days to 1 year, but you can be put into a work release program after a period of 72 consecutive hours of incarceration is completed. Fines for a third DUI offense will be from $1500 to $2500, but this amount can be significantly increased by other costs that you are responsible for in the carrying out of your sentence.
Fourth DUI Offense
A fourth DUI conviction is a felony charge and you will lose your license up to 1 year and will be required to have an ignition interlock device installed for at least 1 year after your suspension. Jail time will be 180 days minimum and can be up to one year. You will be forced to serve at least 144 consecutive hours before you can be eligible for a work release program. You will also be required to be a part of the Kansas Post-Release Supervision program for one year after you are released. A court ordered treatment program will be mandated as well.
As you can see from the strict Kansas penalties, if you are convicted of a DUI, you want to be sure that you get a lawyer to help you through the legal process and to keep you on a lower level of punishment.