When you face a new charge for driving under the influence in Georgia and you have already received a conviction for the offense in the past, you may have questions about the penalties you may face. While you may, depending on circumstances, be able to avoid serving time behind bars following a first DUI conviction, this is no longer the case with a second or subsequent conviction.
Per the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, even a first-time DUI may lead to up to a year in jail, depending on the details of an offense. However, many first-time offenders do not end up serving time. If you have a DUI conviction and receive a second or subsequent one within a five-year span, jail time does become mandatory.
Jail time after a second Georgia DUI
How much jail time you face after a second Georgia DUI depends on certain variables. However, there is a mandatory 48-hour jail sentence that comes with such a conviction. In some instances, you may have to serve between 90 days and a year behind bars after a second Georgia drunk driving conviction.
Jail time after a third Georgia DUI
After a third Georgia DUI conviction within five years, you must spend at least 125 days behind bars. You may have to serve much longer than that, depending on circumstances.
While jail time is among the penalties you face for a second or third Georgia DUI, other possible penalties include fines, increased auto insurance rates and community service obligations, among others.
