What You Need to Know About DWI Penalties in Texas

If you have been arrested for DWI in Texas, you may be wondering what penalties you could face if convicted. When calculating your penalties, a court considers a number of factors.

The penalties for DWI in Texas are calculated based upon how many times you have been convicted of DWI, your age, and whether an accident, injury or death occurred. If you had an open container in your vehicle, or if you had passengers in your car, your penalties could also be affected.

DWI penalties may include fines and surcharges, license suspension, or revocation, jail time and community service. In addition, a court may order the completion of DWI education or intervention programs. A first-time offender may face up to a $2,000 fine, jail time of three to 180 days, and a license suspension of up to one year. A court may also order completion of a DWI education program for first-time offenders.

Drivers convicted of DWI may incur a surcharge of up to $2,000 per year to maintain their licenses. If convicted of DWI multiple times, a driver faces higher fines, more jail time and longer license suspensions. In addition, drivers convicted of DWI while driving with a passenger under the age of 15 face special penalties that could include a fine of up to $10,000 and jail time of up to two years.

A driver who causes serious bodily harm or death while driving under the influence may be hit with felony charges. Intoxication assault (serious bodily harm resulting from intoxicated driving) and intoxication manslaughter (death resulting from intoxicated driving) are very serious offenses that could lead to significant fines and jail time. An intoxication assault conviction could lead to a fine of up to $10,000 and between two and 10 years in prison. A conviction of intoxication manslaughter could result in a similar fine and from two to 20 years in prison.

If you have been arrested for DWI, an experienced Texas DWI attorney can work to protect your rights.

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