For a first offense, most people will face:
- a misdemeanor conviction,
- a 30 to 60-day suspended jail sentence,
- limited driving privileges for a year,
- 24 to 48 hours of community service, and
- somewhere between $300 and $800 in court costs and fines.
If there are any aggravating factors, like children in the car, the sentencing will become harsher, but for a first offense with no aggravating factors, this is the most likely scenario.
- If a second offense occurs within a year, most people will be sentenced to an aggravated level one, or A-1 (which is a mandatory one-year prison time)
- If a second offense occurs after one year of the first conviction, they could face vehicle forfeiture and no driving privileges.
- If a second offense is after three years of the first conviction, then there may be up to a four-year license suspension.
- A second conviction after seven years drops down to a level 2, and their license will likely only be suspended for one year.
So, while a conviction stays on a criminal record forever, the penalties for a second conviction lessen over time.