There is an array of consequences to getting a DUI charge. Perhaps the most significant is the monetary cost.
According to the Alaska Department of Administration, upon your first DUI charge, you will face an average cost of a little over $24,000.
Direct costs
Some of the costs you will have directly relate to the charge and arrest. You will have to pay fines and other costs for going to court, which can be at least $1,750. Additional court costs can add on $5,000 or more.
Your jail stay for three days will cost a little over $300. You will also have administrative costs of about $850.
Unless there is someone else on the scene who can take your vehicle for you, the arresting officer will impound it, which will cost at least $600. This will climb as your vehicle spends additional days in the lot.
You will usually have the option of getting an ignition interlock device and keeping it on your vehicle for a year. If you do this, it will cost you a minimum of $1,300.
License-related costs
You will lose your license. You get it back, you will have to take education classes, which is about $400, and pay for reinstatement, which can be around $270 with the replacement fee. Plus, you will need special insurance, called an SR22, which can cost about $2,000 a year, and you need to keep it for five years at least, which adds up to about $10,000.
The costs of a DUI are certainly not worth it. The Alaska Department of Administration recommends hiring a driver instead of taking the risk.
