Quick Guide to Ohio DUI Laws 

Ohio DUI Laws


 



 



Ohio DUI Law



 



 



Ohio DUI laws carry strict penalties and fines that cannot only affect your finances, but your family and employment as well.  In Ohio, DUI laws are referred to as are referred to as OVI laws, or operating a vehicle under the influence.  For the sake of convenience, this article will still refer to laws and penalties as DUIs.  



 



 



Specific DUI Laws



 



 



Code 4511.19 Operating vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs—OVI refers to general but specific Ohio DUI law.  If you have violated a law in this section, you may be entitled to fines, jail time, probation, suspension of your license, and more.  The Ohio DUI laws state that a driver cannot operate vehicle in any of the following circumstances:  



 



 



(a) the person is under the influence or combined influence of alcohol or drugs



 



 



(b) the person has a concentration of .08 percent of alcohol in their blood



 



 



(i) the person has a concentration of 500 nanograms of amphetamine per milliliter of urine



 



 



(v) the person has 10 nanograms of heroin in one milliliter of urine



 



 



(vi) the person has at least 25 nanograms of L.S.D. per milliliter of urine



 



 



(vii) the person has a concentration of at least 10 nanograms of marijuana per milliliter of urine 



 



 



There are number other Ohio DUI laws that apply, and you can view these laws by accessing the following link. 



 



 



Penalties for DUI in Ohio



 



 



Ohio DUI law specifies different penalties for different numbers offenses.  Fines may vary from area to area according to local ordinances, but many of the fines listed below are fairly common within Ohio DUI law: 



 



 



First Offense



 



 



Jail time- 3 days minimum, 6 days if BAC was .17 or above



 



Driver intervention program- 3 days



 



License suspension- six months to three years



 



Reinstatement Fee- $450



 



Fine- From $250 to $1,000



 



 



Second Offense



 



 



Jail time- 10 days minimum, 20 days if BAC was .17% or above



 



Electronic Home Monitoring- from 18 days to 6 months



 



License suspension- from 1 to 5 years



 



Vehicle Immobilization- 90 days



 



Reinstatement Fee- $450



 



Fine- from $350 to $1,500



 



 



Third Offense



 



 



Jail time- 30 days to 1 year depending on BAC level



 



Home Monitoring- from 55 days to 1 year



 



License suspension- From one to 10 years



 



Vehicle Immobilization- 180 days 



 



Reinstatement Fee- $450



 



Fine- from $350 to $1,500



 



 



Ohio DUI law is always changing, so these limits may increase from year to year.  



 



 



What happens if I refuse a chemical test?



 



 



According to Ohio DUI laws, you will receive the maximum sentence in most cases if you refuse a chemical test, but you may not lose your license for as long.  Ohio DUI law allows an attorney to reach a plea bargain in some cases, but refusing a chemical test will hurt your chances.  



 



 



According to Ohio DUI laws, you will lose your license for one year for the first offense, two years for the second offense, and three years for the third offense.