According to the latest Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Annual Uniform Citation Report, Florida police arrested 33,723 people on criminal driving under the influence (DUI) charges in 2021, of which 352 were arrested in Leon County. If you were among those arrested that year, you already know you face significant consequences if convicted. However, if you have never been arrested for DUI, you might not realize how severe the penalties for DUI are.

Florida laws mandate severe penalties for those convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol and/or drugs. A conviction may result in potential loss of driver’s license, fines, community service, mandatory substance abuse counseling, ignition interlock requirements, and other possible penalties, including a jail term. Such punishment can certainly disrupt your life, but if you compound the DUI with hit and run charges, you face potential consequences that can totally upend your life.