DUI Washington State Drug & Alcohol Rehab Treatment

The state of Washington is considered the evergreen state, and when charged with a DUI in Washington it is considered a gross misdemeanor. The consequences of being charged in Washington require mandatory minimum penalties to be carried out. This is including jail, and other fines. If the offender does refuse to take part in the sobriety tests, the consequences will be much worse. The state of Washington has some of the stiffest DUI laws in the United States. These laws will also take into account a persons blood alcohol content and the offender’s previous history, if any.

DUI in Washington means Driving While Intoxicated, meaning not having the normal use of your mental and physical abilities due to any form of drug or alcohol use. Every citizen who does receive a license in Washington automatically gives consent for BAC, or Blood Alcohol Content Tests. This means that your blood, breath, and urine can be tested if you are under the suspicion of being under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. The ‘per-se’ law of Washington is even for people addicted to drugs, if your blood alcohol content is that of .08%, you can be charged with a criminal offense. This percentage constitutes that of being impaired, and you can also be prosecuted while driving under the influence. This can only happen if you are proven to have been driving in an unsafe manner.

When charged in Washington you will have to face criminal courts and the Washington Department of Licensing (DOL). You have the right to make a request within a 30 day period for an administrative hearing. This is done to avoid losing your driving privileges. If you do not request a hearing, your license will be suspended, and can also be suspended for not appearing, or for an unsuccessful outcome in court.

At a DOL hearing the offender is not presumed to be innocent, you have to prove this. The state of Washington also has what is called a seven year wash out period. This means that after seven years, any prior offenses cannot be held against you in any way. Washington also has the License Compact Agreement, which means if you are an out of state driver, and you are charged with a DUI in the state of Washington, the state will report this offense to your home state where you can face a license suspension.

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^{Works Cited - DUI-Help.com 1997, 19 June 2009 http://dui-help.com/washington/
United States DUI Laws 2006, 19 June 2009 http://dui.drivinglaws.org/washington.php}