DPS Surcharge
In addition to criminal penalties, a person convicted of a first DWI will be required to pay a DPS surcharge of $1,000.00 per year for three years as a condition to maintaining his license. The annual surcharge increases to $1,500 per year for a second DWI or subsequent conviction within a 36 month period. If the person is shown to have had an alcohol concentration of .16 or greater, the surcharge is $2,000 per year for three years. Failure to pay the surcharge or enter into an installment payout agreement will result in suspension of the license until all payments are made.
How Points Work
DPS will assess a surcharge when the driver accumulates a total of six points or more on their record during a three-year period. The driver must pay a $100 surcharge for the first six points and $25 for each additional point.
Annual Surcharges for Certain Convictions
Drivers who receive a conviction for any of the following offenses that occur on or after September 1, 2003 are required to pay an annual surcharge for three years from the date of conviction.
- Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), or a DWI-Related Offense
- First Conviction - $1,000 Annual Surcharge
- Second Convicton - $1,500 Annual Surcharge
- Any Conviction with a BAC of .16 or Greater - $2,000 Annual Surcharge
- Failure to Maintain Financial Responsibility
- Driving While License Invalid
- Driving without a Valid License
Surcharges are automatically assessed for these convictions and do not accrue points. All surcharges assessed for this program are in addition to all other reinstatement fees required for other administrative actions and do not replace any administrative suspension, revocation, disqualification or cancellation action that results from these same convictions.
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