If you were arrested and charged with a DUI in Columbus(GA), Alabama or a neighboring City, please call the 1-800 number below to get in contact with an experienced DUI attorney to fight your case.
1-800-420-9444 or

Columbus(GA), Alabama DUI Criminal Defense Attorney

Alabama DUI / DWI Administrative Hearing

Pursuant to Alabama law, an individual has 10 days to request an Administrative Hearing from the Alabama DPS. If you fail to request a hearing within 10 days, your right to the hearing is lost, and your driver's license is automatically suspended for the applicable statutory time frame. In order to preserve your right to an administrative hearing, it is crucial that you submit your request to the Alabama DPS within 10 days.

What happens if I was arrested for DUI in Columbus(GA)?

Under Alabama law, once you have been cited for violating the DUI statute, the state initiates two simultaneous, yet separate legal actions against you. The criminal action is in response to the ticket that was issued to you, while the administrative action is brought against your driver's license by the Alabama DPS. While both actions can result in the suspension of your Alabama driving privileges, it is important to remember that there may be more penalties to consider and each action must be handled on their own.

Being arrested for DUI is a serious offense that can have major repercussions, including jail time, loss of driving privileges, and monetary fines. It is imperative that anyone facing a DUI charge in Alabama understand what challenges they will encounter. Seeking the legal advice of a capable and knowledgeable DUI criminal defense lawyer will help you understand all of your options and rights.

DUI Penalties for First Time Offenders

  • Monetary Fines - In Columbus(GA), Alabama, fines for a first time DUI range between a minimum of $600.00, up to a maximum of $2,100.00
  • Chemical Test Refusal - Refusing to submit to a test when requested by law enforcement will result in the revocation of Alabama driver's license for 90 days.
  • Jail Time - A first time DUI / DWI offender faces up to one year time in jail in Columbus(GA), Alabama.
  • Commercial Drivers - Commercial drivers are in violation of the DUI statute with a BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) level of 0.04. A first time DWI / DUI conviction will result in the loss of the commercial driver's license for 1 year, while any subsequent DUI offenses will result in a lifetime loss of the commercial license.
  • Chemical Test Refusal - Refusing to submit to a test when requested by law enforcement will result in the revocation of Alabama driver's license for 90 days.
  • Alcohol Evaluation - Successful completion of a DUI knowledge test and chemical assessment is required for reinstatement of Alabama driving privileges.

DUI Subsequent Offenses

Penalties are increasingly more severe for any additional DUI (DWI) violations. Due to the complexity of DUI laws in Alabama, you may not be aware of options and rights. This is why an accomplished and professional lawyer can guide you through this emotionally challenging process. Please contact an Alabama DWI / DUI criminal defense lawyer for a free consultation.

Second Alabama DUI Conviction:

  • Driver's License Revocation - 1 year
  • Fine - $1,000 - $5,000, plus an additional $100 fine assessed for Impaired Drivers Trust Fund
  • Mandatory - Not less than 48 hours consecutive jail time, or community service of not less than 20 (twenty) days
  • Imprisonment - 48 consecutive hours, up to 1 year, or not less than 20 days community service

Third DUI Conviction Within 5 Years:

  • Imprisonment - 60 days in municipal or county jail, up to 1 year
  • Mandatory - 60-day imprisonment which cannot be probated or suspended
  • Monetary Fine - $2,000 - $10,000, plus an additional $100 fine assessed for Impaired Drivers Trust Fund
  • License Revocation - 3 years

Fourth or Subsequent Conviction Within 5 Years

  • License Revocation - 5 years
  • Class C Felony
  • Fine - $4,000 to $10,000
  • Imprisonment - 1 to 10 years

Actual Physical Control

In Alabma, the DUI law does not require that a person be caught driving a vehicle. The state is an "actual physical control" state. This means that under Alabama DUI laws, being in a car may be enough for police to charge you. Actual physical control is the exclusive physical power, and present ability, to operate, move, park, or direct whatever use or nonuse is to be made of a motor vehicle at the moment, as determined by the totality of the circumstances.

For example, a person who meets one of the above conditions and who is asleep in (or simply sitting in) a motor vehicle may be guilty of DUI / DWI in Alabama. To make sure you fully understand all your options and what you are facing, it is crucial that you contact an accomplished and experienced DUI defense attorney in Columbus(GA), Alabama. Remember that you need to act quickly to make sure you take advantage of all your rights and options.

Actual Physical Control

In Alabma, the DUI law does not require that a person be caught driving a vehicle. The state is an "actual physical control" state. This means that under Alabama DUI laws, being in a car may be enough for police to charge you. Actual physical control is the exclusive physical power, and present ability, to operate, move, park, or direct whatever use or nonuse is to be made of a motor vehicle at the moment, as determined by the totality of the circumstances.

For example, a person who meets one of the above conditions and who is asleep in (or simply sitting in) a motor vehicle may be guilty of DUI / DWI in Alabama. To make sure you fully understand all your options and what you are facing, it is crucial that you contact an accomplished and experienced DUI defense attorney in Columbus(GA), Alabama. Remember that you need to act quickly to make sure you take advantage of all your rights and options.