Your Iowa OWI BAC Changes Everything

An Iowa OWI can change your life, especially a first-offense DUI in which property damage or personal injury occurred. Your BAC (blood alcohol concentration) level at the time of arrest can even change your DUI, increasing the penalties and the steps you’ll need to take to regain your freedom. Iowa has a graduated system for penalties when you drink and drive, all of which start at the national per se blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit of .08 percent.

For a first-time Iowa OWI with property damage/personal injury and a BAC between .08 and .10 percent, offenders face:

• At least 30 days with a suspended license.
• An ignition interlock will be ordered by the court for the vehicle(s) driven by the offender.

For a first-time Iowa OWI with property damage/personal injury and a BAC above .10 percent, up to .15 percent, offenders face:

• At least 30 days with a suspended license.
• An ignition interlock will be ordered by the court for the vehicle(s) driven and owned by the offender.

High BAC Iowa OWI offenses, even those without property damage or personal injury, will have a mandatory ignition interlock requirement, on top of the suspension period. Any first-offense Iowa OWI can mean you lose your license for up to one year, in addition to any ignition interlock requirement ordered by the court.

Iowa doesn’t require ignition interlock devices for all OWIs, in particular, those without any aggravating circumstances. So, some offenders may be waiting out their full license suspension instead of participating in the interlock program.

Changing your life can happen long before you face an Iowa OWI. You already know you have plans to go out and have a few drinks with friends. While you’re in planning mode, go ahead and get your ride home mapped out, so that you have less to think about when you’re ready to end the night. The changes you face with an Iowa OWI are nothing to gamble against, especially when you could wind up in legal trouble or much worse.