Being arrested for a suspected DUI in Ocean City, Maryland, can be a highly disconcerting event. Most people who are arrested for impaired driving offenses have minimal experience with the criminal justice system and might not know the penalties they are facing or what to expect. Knowing the laws in Maryland for DUI and DWI offenses might help people to understand the process.
DUI/DWI laws in Maryland
Maryland has a per se limit for alcohol of .08. If you are found to have a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher within two hours of driving, operating, or being in actual physical control of a motor vehicle, you can be charged with DUI per se, which is the most serious DUI offense. Even if your blood alcohol concentration is lower than .08, you still might be charged with a crime. Maryland law allows people who have blood alcohol concentrations ranging from .07 to .079 to be charged with driving while impaired. This offense creates a presumption that a person is impaired by alcohol when they have a BAC of .07.
People can also be charged with DUIs if they are found to have any amount of impairing drugs in their systems or a combination of drugs and alcohol, including legal drugs for which they have a valid prescription. Minors under the age of 21 can face DUI charges if they are found to have any amount of alcohol in their systems while driving.
Following a DUI arrest, people will be given temporary licenses that last for 45 days. If they do not request an administrative hearing on their suspensions, their licenses will be suspended for a period ranging from six months to two years. In addition, people who are convicted of DUIs or DWIs will face from two months to five years in prison and a fine from $500 up to $5,000.