DUI Laws in Washington

Washington has some of the strictest, most draconian laws regarding DUI in America. RCW 46.61.5055 requires mandatory jail time, mandatory loss of license, mandatory fines, mandatory ignition interlock, and mandatory treatment as just the start of the penalties. Some of the collateral losses are mandatory high risk insurance that will be required and the loss of the ability to visit Canada (A DUI in Canada is a felony and Canadian immigration will not let those convicted of DUI through the border). Additionally, there are increased penalties depending on if you refused to take the breath or blood test or had a blood alcohol concentration .15 or above. And for every additional DUI you have on your record, or an offense treated as a prior DUI by RCW 46.61.5055 (physical control, deferred prosecution, negligent driving in the first degree amended from DUI, reckless driving or endangerment amended from DUI). Those penalties increase dramatically until on the fifth DUI a person is looking at years of prison time. One final consequence to note is that you will almost certainly lose your right to drive by a license suspension by the Department of Licensing (DOL) unless you get an attorney veteran in DOL hearings right away.

If you have charged with a crime of driving while under the influence or physical control, you need an attorney with the compassion to hear your side of the case and the passion to defend you in court greater than the prosecutors on the other side.

Contact Our Tacoma or Seattle Law Offices

For an initial consultation with our Washington DUI defense lawyers, call Derek Smith at 253-666-8590 or James White at 800-895-7932.