Introduction
Like any other state in the USA, Missouri, too, has its own rules and stipulations with regard to drunk driving. Hence, if you’re considering traveling to the state, it’ll be important for you to know about everything accordingly. Or else, you may end up falling in a legal trap, which might affect your reputation, budget, and everything else you hold dear to your heart.
Alcohol Limitation In Missouri
Before we delve deeper into the mystery, let’s answer your query of “what is the legal alcohol limit in Missouri” first. So, a driver will be considered as “legally drunk” in Missouri –
- If they’re a non-commercial or a regular driver and have an alcohol level (in blood) of over 0.08.
- If they’re aged under 21, they’ll be considered as “legally drunk” if their alcohol level is 0.02 or more.
- If they’re driving a commercial vehicle and have an alcohol level of 0.04 or more, they’ll be tagged as drunk drivers.
Apart from these, the court might take other factors in conduct as well. The list may include –
- The number of drinks they’ve had.
- The rate of their overall alcohol consumption.
- If the drink was carbonated or not.
- The type of alcohol available in each drink.
Hence, if you’re drinking in a party or with your friends’ circle in a club, ensure not to drive a vehicle afterwards. It might lead you into legal trouble and affect your traveling experience.
Drunk Driving In Missouri – The Penalties
If you’ve proven the drunk driving claim to be wrong or misjudged, you’ll be the luckiest of the bunch. However, if you were unable to counter the felony, you’ll need to go through some certain penalties. These may include the following –
- If you’re a first-time offender, you may face around six months to twelve months of jail time in Missouri. Apart from that, the court might also ask you to provide a fine of up to $500. Your license revocation period will be somewhere near a month.
- On the other hand, you’ll be restricted from driving for 60 days as well. During this period, you’ll be asked not to drive your car even when you are traveling to a small distance like your school.
- If this is your second time committing the act, you might face around a year of prison time and USD 1,000 in fine. The total revocation period of your driver’s license will be one year in this aspect. And, this will be applicable if you committed the crime for the second time in five years.
- In case you’ve committed the same for the third time, you might have to spend around four years of jail time. And, the fine to be paid will be $5,000. Your driver’s license will be revoked as well.
- If someone commits the same “accident” for the fourth time, the court will tag them as an aggravated offender. Therefore, they may spend around seven years in prison and have to give $5,000 as the designated fine.
Finally, if this is your fifth time getting caught for drunk driving, you’ll be considered as a chronic offender. Therefore, you might be kept in prison for 15 years at most. And, your car license will be revoked entirely. Also, you might not be able to apply for reinstatement after you’re done with your total serving time.
The Bottom Line
Like any other state in the USA, the felony of drunk driving is seen as a critical offense. So, if you want to avoid the severe consequences of the same, make sure not to drive after drinking.
Also, if you’ve been mistakenly tangled up in a situation like this, ensure to hire a lawyer quickly. They can see through the case, tell you about the legal alcohol limit missouri, let you know how you can avoid jail time.
Also, they’re going to represent you in the court. Therefore, it’s better if you choose the right person for the job – calm, composed, and experienced. Talk to them beforehand to gain more information on their overall efficiency.
