Public Safety Surcharges on Driver’s License for DWI Convictions
When you are facing a DWI charge, it is important to have an experienced attorney on your side to help defend your rights, especially since the punishment for even a first-time DWI conviction can be steep. You may be required to pay hefty fines, complete community service and alcohol treatment hours, attend an alcohol education course, and possibly other requirements. Beyond these criminal penalties included as part of your conviction, you may also face civil penalties from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Texas Department of Public Safety Surcharges
If you are convicted of a DWI, your license will be suspended for a minimum of 6 months. For a 2nd or 3rd time offense, you could have your license suspended for 2 years or more. When your DWI conviction is reported to the Department of Public Safety (DPS), the department will charge you an administrative fee, also known as a surcharge, as a penalty for your license violation.
The driver’s license surcharges for a DWI offense are as follows:
- 1st Offense DWI: $1,000 annually for 3 years = $3,000 total
- Subsequent Offense DWI: $1,500 annually for 3 years = $4,500 total
- DWI with BAC of 0.16 or more: $2,000 annually for 3 years = $6,000 total
These costly surcharges are billed on top of the fees that you already have to pay the court as part of your criminal sentence. Clearly the financial costs of a DWI conviction can be overwhelming. You need an experienced, aggressive San Antonio DWI attorney who will fight to defend your case and seek alternatives to conviction.
Contact Us
With so much on the line, don’t trust your legal defense to just any attorney. Contact San Antonio DWI defense lawyer Chris S. Barnett today at 210-587-6464 to begin preparing your defense.
