Disclaimer: The website may collect compensation for links, mentions and/or videos that are placed in the content.

Disclosure: All content is intended for general information purposes only. We are not professionals in any specialized field. Please consult an expert before making any decisions involving your health, finances, or general well being.

Driving under the influence is extremely dangerous not only to the driver, but to others around them. Unfortunately, driving under the influence is a fairly common occurrences.

While Ohio law enforcement generally refer to DUIs as OVIs — operating a vehicle under the influence — they are the same thing. Research shows that over 1.1 million people in Ohio — roughly one out of every seven licensed drivers in the state — have at least one conviction for driving impaired. There are actually two individuals in the state of Ohio who have over 20 OVI convictions.

What You Need to Know About Ohio State DUI Laws:

• To start, the Blood Alcohol Content limit is .02% if you are under the age of 21.
• Fines for DUIs can be anywhere from $250-$1000. Not only are you putting your life and the lives of others at risk by driving under the influence, but you are also putting yourself at risk financially.
• DUI laws in Ohio are very strict. Even your first DUI conviction can lead to a maximum addition of six points on your license. In addition, a DUI conviction can lead to a suspension of your driver’s license and you will have to attend an Administrative License Suspension hearing.
• If you do lose your license, you will most likely have to pay a license reinstatement fee of $400. The amount of money you will lose if convicted is absolutely not worth driving under the influence.

As you can see, DUIs are not taken lightly in Ohio. New DUI laws emphasize this, making sure that these new DUI laws provide severe consequences for the actions of those who decided to drive under the influence. While these new DUI laws may seem severe, they need to be in order to help attempt to minimize the amount of people who think it is OK to drive under the influence.

If you are arrested for a DUI, you definitely want to find a good lawyer. Hiring a top criminal defense attorney will work heavily in your favor if you have the option for a plea bargain, under the circumstances that the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream was borderline illegal, if there was no accident, and if you have no prior criminal record.

Check out your local area and see what kinds of defense attorneys are out there. Research the company online before visiting and be sure to compare both credibility and prices.

Have you ever had any experiences being convicted of a DUI? Tell us about it in the comments below.