The penalties, from the manual
Pennsylvania DUI penalties: what the manual publishes, and what it does not.
What the manual publishes
General impairment, .08 to .099 blood alcohol
These penalties apply to drivers of legal drinking age. The manual prints each row as a sentence, a fine and a license action.
First offense
6 months probation, a $300 fine, and no license action
PDF page 87
Second offense
5 days to 6 months in prison, $300 to $2,500, a 12-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Third offense
10 days to 2 years in prison, $500 to $5,000, a 12-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
High rate, .10 to .159 blood alcohol
This table also catches anybody under 21 with a BAC of .02 or more, commercial drivers at .04 or more, school bus drivers at .02 or more, and anybody at .08 to .099 in a crash causing serious bodily injury, death or vehicle or property damage.
First offense
2 days to 6 months in prison, $500 to $5,000, a 12-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Second offense
30 days to 6 months in prison, $750 to $5,000, a 12-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Third offense
90 days to 5 years in prison, $1,500 to $10,000, an 18-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Highest rate, .16 blood alcohol and up
This table also catches anybody who refuses chemical testing at any level, and driving under the influence of Schedule I, II or III substances that are not medically prescribed, a combination of another drug and alcohol, or substances such as inhalants.
First offense
3 days to 6 months in prison, $1,000 to $5,000, a 12-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Second offense
90 days to 5 years in prison, $1,500, an 18-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Third offense
1 year to 5 years in prison, $2,500 minimum, an 18-month suspension and a 1 year ignition interlock requirement
PDF page 87
Refusing the chemical test, which is its own penalty
Pennsylvania's implied consent law makes the refusal a separate matter from the DUI, and its suspension is added to any suspension for the DUI itself.
A first refusal
Your driving privilege is suspended for one year, even if you are found not guilty of the DUI
PDF page 86
A refusal with a prior DUI or a prior refusal
18 months for the refusal plus 18 more for the conviction, three years in total
PDF page 86
The restoration fee
$500 first offense, $1,000 second, $2,000 third or later
PDF page 86
How little it takes, in the manual's own two examples
Pennsylvania publishes no blood alcohol table. It publishes two worked figures, and they are the only body-weight numbers in the document.
A woman weighing 110 pounds
A BAC of .03 after 8 oz of light beer, less than one bottle
PDF page 38
A man weighing 140 pounds
A BAC of .025 after a full 12 oz bottle of light beer
PDF page 38
Under 21
Any measurable alcohol is enough, and .02 or greater is driving under the influence
PDF page 86
Every figure above carries the page of the official manual it came from. Open it and check.
What the manual does not publish
These are not on this page because the manual does not carry them. Each one was searched for in the pinned document before it was written down.
- What an ignition interlock system costs. The manual requires one in eight of the nine penalty cells on PDF page 87 and names no price, no installation fee and no monthly figure.
- A blood alcohol table by body weight. There are two worked examples on PDF page 38 and no table.
- How long the knowledge test takes. No page of the manual states a time limit.
Not one of the five manuals this site cites says what an ignition interlock costs, and four of them require or allow one.
This page reports what the official manual states. It is not advice, and it says nothing about what would happen in any particular case.
More
Every practice question here carries the page of the official manual it came from.
How many questions the test has, and what happens if you fail