DWI Levels

Fayetteville DWI Attorney

If you are charged for a DWI in North Carolina, the offense can be classified into one of five levels. These levels include DWIs that are considered a misdemeanor. Level V is considered the least serious offense while Level I is the most serious. The penalties for a conviction in any of the levels can still be damaging and will also mean that there is a mark on your criminal record. If you do face accusations for driving while impaired, contact our Fayetteville attorney immediately.

Penalties for Level V to Level I

Penalties for the different Levels include the following:

• Level V
  • $200 in fines
  • Jail sentence of 24 hours – 60 days
  • Sentence may be suspended by the judge if the suspect spends 24 hours in jail, does 24 hours of community service and does not drive for 30 days.
• Level IV
  • $500 in fines
  • Jail sentence of 48 hours – 120 days
  • Sentence may be suspended by the judge if the suspect spends 48 hours in jail, does 48 hours of community service and does not drive for 60 days.
• Level III
  • $1,000 in fines
  • Jail sentence of 72 hours – six months
  • Sentence may be suspended by the judge if the suspect spends 72 hours in jail, does 72 hours of community service and does not drive for 90 days.
• Level II
  • $2,000 in fines
  • Jail sentence of seven days – one year
  • Minimum sentence cannot be suspended by the judge
• Level I
  • $4,000 in fines
  • Jail sentence of 30 days – two years
  • Minimum sentence cannot be suspended by the judge

Those in the Level I and II categories include drivers transporting minors, who have a revoked license, who are impaired, who hurt someone in an accident or who are repeat offenders. A suspect can face the penalties listed above even if they have multiple convictions on their record. For an individual with three or more convictions from the past seven years, their charge will be increased to a Habitual DWI offense, which is a felony. For defense in your case, call our firm immediately.