DUI Laws & Different Pennsylvania BAC Levels

In Pennsylvania if you are driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher you can be charged with DUI. While this applies to anyone over the legal age of 21 there are also different DUI laws in Pennsylvania for different people based on age, profession, etc. These are explained below and the charges faced, administrative, financial, legal and other penalties differ for each. If you are facing DUI charges of any kind in Pennsylvania please contact our Philadelphia DUI defense lawyers. They offer free case reviews and serve the Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia county areas as well as southern New Jersey.

Those who hold a Commercial Drivers License (CDL) as well as juveniles, are the 2 main groups of people who will face entirely different penalties if caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Their BAC levels are:

1) CDL holders operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .04 can be charged with DUI.

2) Minors who are caught with a BAC of .02 of higher can be arrested for DUI.

It is important to note that in these types of cases there can be consequences other than losing your drivers license, fines, probation, etc. Professional drivers such as truck drivers, taxi, limo and bus drivers can lose their professional credentials and license as well as their personal drivers license. This is true even for a first offense,

Those under the age of 21 can lose the ability to obtain their drivers license in Pennsylvania if they are arrested for DUI without a valid license. If you are a college student a DUI charge can also get you kicked out of school even if the arrest happened off campus.

And, as with all DUI’s, the higher your BAC level the more severe the consequence even if it is a first offense. A BAC of .08-099% has less severe penalties than if your BAC is .1-.159%. A DUI charge with a BAC level of .16% will result in the harshest penalties. Also, if your DUI resulted in an accident, property damage, injury or death you may be facing felony DUI charges in Pennsylvania.

Do not face this alone or attempt to represent yourself. And by no means should you ignore this and not show up for court. That only makes a bad situation worse as a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. Please contact our Philadelphia DUI defense attorneys to discuss your case, your rights and how to protect them. Serving the Philadelphia, Doylestown, Media and Norristown areas.