DUIs: what's the real cost

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. John Wigglesworth
  • 960th Cyberspace Operations Group Judge Advocate
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas --  A 6-pack of beer, or several drinks at a bar, will cost you less than $20.  That's more than enough to raise your blood alcohol above .08, the DUI limit in all fifty states.  In other words, it cost less than $20 for a DUI arrest. 

Assuming a first offense, no property damage, injury, or death, what does it cost after the arrest?

In the short term, you can expect to pay between $5,000 and $12,000, with the largest cost typically coming from the jump in your insurance rates (subsequent offenses will double or triple the costs). Costs vary from state to state, but not by much.  Here is a summary:
  
Court Costs: $250 - $1500
Legal Fees: $2,000 - $5,000
License Reinstatement: $250 - $500
Ignition Interlock System: $100 - $325
Substance Abuse Classes: $100 - $500
Increased Insurance costs: $1,000 - $1500 annually (expect to pay between $3,000 - $4500 over three years).
Loss of initial income:  $1,000 - $4,000.

The above averages assume a first offense, best case scenario, and are on the conservative side.  Moreover, these are just the short term financial consequences.  For an Airman, the long term consequences are much more severe.

Circumstances vary, but potential consequences for Airman guilty of a DUI include a court-martial prosecution, nonjudicial punishment under Article 15, Letters of Reprimand, and a referral EPR or OPR. The financial effects a DUI can have on Airmen may last a lifetime resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars every each and every year both during their career and later in retirement. 

It takes less than $20 to buy a DUI arrest, but the actual costs are in the thousands with consequences that may last a lifetime. 

December is National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, so drink responsibly and prevent your friends and loved ones from driving if they have had too much to drink.