Driving While Impaired

Driving While Impaired in Oklahoma is a serious crime. The Oklahoma DUI statute says it’s unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle while he/she is impaired. This impairment can be due to alcohol or any other intoxicating substance. Any DUI regardless of it being impaired or actually drunk is serious. If found guilty the punishment is real and will lead to high fines, costs and potential jail time. Our Driving While Impaired attorneys in Tulsa have handled countless cases just like yours. Call us and get a free consultation.

Punishment for Driving While Impaired:

Okla. Stat. tit. 47 § 761(A) (2006).

A DWI is punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail and/or a fine of $100 to $500 as well as suspension of the Defendant’s driver’s license for:

First Offense – First suspension shall be for thirty (30) days.
Second Offense – Second suspension shall be for six (6) months, not subject to modification.
Third Offense – Third suspension shall be for twelve (12) months, not subject to modification.

Defendant will also be subject to a mandatory alcohol and drug assessment at a certified assessment agency and follow the recommended treatments at the Defendant’s expense.

Title 47. Motor Vehicles – Chapter 67

Chemical Tests – Section 761

Operation of Motor Vehicle While Impaired

Penalties – Suspensions Violations Not Bondable

A. Any person who operates a motor vehicle while his ability to operate such motor vehicle is impaired by the Driving While Impaired consumption of alcohol, or any other substance, other than alcohol, which is capable of being ingested, inhaled, injected or absorbed into the human body and is capable of adversely affecting the central nervous system, vision, hearing or other sensory or motor functions shall be subject to a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

B. Upon the receipt of any person’s record of conviction of driving while impaired, when such conviction has become final, the Department of Public Safety shall suspend the driving privilege of such person, as follows: 1. The first suspension shall be for thirty (30) days; 2. The second suspension shall be for a period of six (6) months. Such suspension shall not be subject to modification; and 3. The third or subsequent suspension shall be for twelve (12) months. Such suspension shall not be subject to modification. Provided, however, the Department shall not suspend such privilege pursuant to this subsection if said person’s driving privilege has been revoked based upon a test result or test refusal pursuant to Section 753 or Section 754 of this title arising from the same circumstances which resulted in the conviction.

C. The violations as set out in this section shall not be bondable under Section 1115.3 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

D. Any person who is found guilty of a violation of the provisions of this section or pleading guilty or nolo contendere for a violation of any provision of this section shall be ordered to participate in, prior to sentencing, an alcohol and drug assessment and evaluation by an assessment agency or assessment personnel certified by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the purpose of evaluating the receptivity to treatment and prognosis of the person.
The court shall order the person to reimburse the agency or assessor for the assessment and evaluation. The fee for an assessment and evaluation shall be the amount provided in subsection C of Section 3-460 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes. The evaluation shall be conducted at a certified assessment agency, the office of a certified assessor or at another location as ordered by the court.
The agency or assessor shall, within seventy-two (72) hours from the time the person is assessed, submit a written report to the court for the purpose of assisting the court in its final sentencing determination. If such report indicates that the evaluation shows that the defendant would benefit from a ten-hour or twenty-four-hour alcohol and drug substance abuse course or a treatment program or both, the court shall, as a condition of any sentence imposed, including a deferred sentence and a suspended sentence, require the person to follow all recommendations identified by the assessment and evaluation and ordered by the court.
No person, agency or facility operating an alcohol and drug substance abuse evaluation program certified by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services shall solicit or refer any person evaluated pursuant to this section for any treatment program or alcohol and drug substance abuse service in which such person, agency or facility has a vested interest; however, this provision shall not be construed to prohibit the court from ordering participation in or any person from voluntarily utilizing a treatment program or alcohol and drug substance abuse service offered by such person, agency or facility.
Any evaluation report submitted to the court pursuant to this subsection shall be handled in a manner which will keep such report confidential from the general public’s review. Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the court from ordering judgment and sentence and any other sanction authorized by law for failure or refusal to comply with an order of the court.