DUI Penalties in Tennessee

Get help from a prominent and successful Knoxville DUI lawyer.

Need to fight back to try to avoid the serious consequences of a conviction for a DUI charge? Find out more about Robert R. Kurtz, Attorney at Law. The founder of the firm, Mr. Kurtz, has been named as the Top DUI Attorney in Knoxville by Cityview Magazine.

Mr. Kurtz has a Superb (10/10) rating from Avvo, and is BV Distinguished® Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®. These are all indications of the level of service and the exceptional defense counsel you can expect from the firm.

Are you ready to be proactive and fight your charges? This is the firm to call for aggressive, quality defense counsel in Knoxville. Read about the penalties that could be imposed upon you in a conviction, and think about how much better your life would be if the charges would just "go away." The firm has been successful in numerous difficult DUI cases, and that is exactly what happened - the defendant had the charges dismissed, or he or she was acquitted at trial, and able to walk away without further repercussions. Don't take chances when you need to fight a DUI charge.

First DUI Conviction: Penalties

Minimum mandatory jail time for 48 hours; up to 11 months and 29 days
Minimum mandatory jail time could increase to 7 days if the person's blood alcohol content (BAC) was above 0.20%
Fines up to $1,500
Mandatory alcohol and drug addiction fee of $100
Attend DUI school or victim impact panel
License revocation up to 1 year

Other consequences could include probation service and a mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device. In some rare cases with serious damage, high BAC levels, or in which vehicle manslaughter occurred, a first-time offender could face felony charges and vehicle forfeiture.

Second DUI Conviction: Penalties

Minimum mandatory jail time for 45 days or up to 11 months and 29 days
Fines up to $3,500
Mandatory alcohol and drug addiction fee of $100
Mandatory DUI school attendance to regain driver's license
Court-ordered participation in alcohol rehabilitation program
License revocation up to 2 years, not eligible for restricted license.
Other consequences of a second DUI offense could include the required installation of an ignition interlock device and vehicle forfeiture.

Third DUI Conviction: Penalties

Minimum mandatory jail time for 120 days; up to 11 months and 29 days
Fines up to $10,000
Mandatory alcohol and drug addiction fee of $100
Mandatory DUI school attendance to regain driver's license
Mandatory participation in alcohol rehabilitation program
License revocation up to 6 years; not eligible for restricted license

Other consequences include probation, a mandatory installation of ignition interlock device. If a prior DUI conviction occurred within the last five years, you will be subject to vehicle seizure forfeiture.

Fourth or More DUI Convictions: Penalties

Minimum mandatory jail time for 150 days; up to 6 years
Fines up to $15,000
Mandatory alcohol and drug addiction fee of $100 for each conviction
Mandatory DUI school attendance to regain driver's license
Mandatory participation in alcohol rehabilitation program
License revocation for a minimum of 8 years; not eligible for restricted license

For a fourth DUI offense or any subsequent offenses, an ignition interlock device will be ordered with a license reinstatement if your prior DUI was within the last five years. You will be subject to vehicle forfeiture. You may face a lifetime revocation of your driver's license.

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