Getting a DUI in your record while in New Jersey is not something that you want. The conviction remains on your driving record without any way to get rid or erase it. It does not have an expiry date. Any additional charge will raise the count regardless of the time apart between the two DUI’s.
In New Jersey, the more the DUI charges you face, the more severe the penalties you have to pay. The third DUI charge carries the most severe penalties. The fines of the first DUI are dependent on your blood alcohol content (BAC) level. However, all the following DUI convictions are not reliant on your BAC.
When charged with a third DUI, you may get the following penalties:
- Pay a fine of $1000
- Get your driving license suspended for ten years
- Receive mandatory imprisonment of not less than 180 days in the county jail
- Get an ignition interlock device in your car for one to three years
- Pay a motor vehicle surcharge of $3000 that you may pay for three years
Even though your prior DUIs will always appear on your driving record, the New Jersey Laws provides you with a step-down provision only if your third conviction has a ten-year time gap with your second conviction. The step down allows you to instead receive the penalties of the Second-offence DUI instead of the third. The step-down only applies in the sentencing.
This information is only intended to give you an idea about what happens during a third DUI. Do not interpret it as legal advice.
