No one in the Anchorage area or who is just visiting Alaska to see the sites should be aware that getting a drunk driving charge, called a DUI in this state, is a serious affair even for a first-time offender.
In Alaska, a first-time offender must spend at least 3 consecutive days in jail and pay a fine of $1,500. The jail sentence can be served on electronic monitoring, but no matter where is it served, the person convicted has to pay to reimburse part of the cost of incarceration.
Additionally, while a hardship license may be available, a person’s license will be suspended for at least 90 days. After the license suspension, a person will have to arrange to use an ignition interlock device for 6 months. Of course, the ignition interlock device will have to be purchased at the person’s expense.
Other penalties are also possible. One should keep in mind that these are the possible penalties for a first-time DUI without any aggravating circumstances like an accident or a high blood alcohol content.
Those who have repeat offenses in a relatively short number of years may face a felony conviction. After a felony offense, a person must spend between 120 and 360 days in jail, although additional prison time is possible.
They must also pay a $10,000 fine and will lose the vehicle they were driving when the incident happened and will also have all vehicles they owned unregistered.
A person will also lose his or her license for at least 10 years but may never be allowed to drive again. If he or she is allowed to drive again, he or she must use an ignition interlock device for 5 years.
