Vermont First Offender
You are DUI in Vermont if your blood alcohol content is .08% or higher.
Jail
No mandatory minimum.
Fines
1st offense = not more than $750.
Other Assessments / Surcharges
Victim's restitution fund; a $60 surcharge used to fund the Health Department's Laboratory Services Special Fund; a $50 surcharge used to fund the public defenders' special fund and a $50 surcharge used to fund drunk driving law enforcement.
License Suspension
Vermont has both pre-conviction administrative and post-conviction court-ordered with a mandatory minimum of 90 days for the 1st offense. Reinstatement Fee: $30, + $50 assessment for DUI countermeasures.
Assessment / Screening with Education
Alcohol and driver education for 1st offenders only: cost is $300 and you must pay. If so indicated in the out-take interview following the course, you may be referred to further treatment.
Treatment
If you refused a chemical test, had an administrative license suspension, or were convicted of DUI, you must complete an alcohol and driver education program followed by an alcohol assessment prior to license reinstatement.
If you fail to comply with the terms of their program, you are not eligible for license reinstatement and may be returned to the court for further action.
Under 21
You are DUI if you have any alcohol at all in your system. Penalties will parallel adult sanctions.
Are you Really a First Offender?
In Vermont the period of time in which a judge or administrator can review an offender's record (the "look-back" period) is your entire lifetime. This means that if even you had a DUI decades ago, even in another state, you are no longer a first offender and are subject to greater penalties.
Insurance
Your insurance rates will probably climb considerably, and your insurance carrier may drop you. The rates for family members and sometimes your employer can increase as well.
More Serious Charges
You may be charged with felony DUI (possibly leading to much greater penalties) if you are involved in a crash involving serious injury or death.
