If you’ve been arrested for DUI in Georgia, you are likely feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about your immediate future. Larry Kohn, an Atlanta criminal attorney with many positive client reviews, understands the overbearing worry and fear of facing a 1^st offense DUI in Georgia. Larry’s clients want to know, “What is the penalty for first offense DUI in Georgia?”

This guide will explain all possible penalties if convicted. The most common penalty for a first-time DWI or DUI conviction is a sizable court fine. But an arrest is not always a conviction! We will fight your charges together.

Understanding First-Time DUI Penalties in Georgia

DUI less safe in Georgia means being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent that it is less safe for the person to drive, even if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is below 0.08%.

For drivers under 21 years of age the BAC limit is 0.02 grams percent, and for commercial driver’s license CDL holders, the legal limit is 0.04%. If you don’t take the roadside breathalyzer test, the officer can still arrest you for impaired driving. This can be based on slurred speech, admitting to drinking, or failing field sobriety tests.

In Georgia, there is another type of DUI offense called DUI per se. This occurs when the officer collects a breath sample at the roadside and again at the police station. O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391(a)(1) defines less safe DUI in the state of Georgia.

Atlanta GA DUI lawyer Cory Yager worked nearly 10 years in police work before becoming a DUI Lawyer GA. Next, he passed the Georgia Bar in 2007, and was working as criminal attorney a week later. He was then trained for years by renowned Georgia DUI lawyer Bubba Head.

Bubba Head is the State’s top DUI defense lawyer. The pair of defense attorneys successfully handled many high-profile clients, in their DUI arrest cases.

Yager, the lawyer, obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the State University of New York. He moved to Georgia in 1999 for police training. After that, he went to law school and earned his Juris Doctorate from John Marshall Law School-Atlanta.

Atlanta DUI Lawyer: What to Do at a GA DUI Traffic Stop

At no time have the schools in Georgia given their students information on what to do or NOT do, if confronted by police. This is true for high schools, colleges, and technical schools. This maxim is particularly critical to traffic cases, as well as being valid if approached on foot by an officer.

This blog posting covers traffic stop encounters in which a driving under the influence case is suspected. Because you will never be permitted to delay a police investigation to call the best DUI lawyer Atlanta, knowing this information can save your driver’s license. Furthermore, it may prevent a lifetime conviction for a DUI charge from blemishing your criminal history.

Court-related GA DUI Consequences

1. DUI Convictions in Georgia are FOREVER – no expunction law in GA (can’t be removed from record and a conviction will NOT “age” off). You take it to the GRAVE.

2. Mandatory probation which will be for one year minus any days in jail for misdemeanor offenses; five years of probation required for felony 4th (or more) offense in 10 years (minus any prison time served).