Tampa DUI law has nothing extra or different from the sate DUI law (Florida). The law, in every city across the state follows the same guideline and course of punishment. Drunk driving laws of Florida, and that of Tampa, prohibit individuals to drive any kind of vehicle under the influence of alcohol or other drugs with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08% or above. The .08% BAC limit is the standardized measurement for "impaired" driver used across the United Sates. For drivers of commercial vehicles, the BAC limit is .04%. However, for drivers under the age of 21 years, the limit decreases to .02%, which is virtually almost non-existing.

According to Tampa DUI attorneys, the state of Florida has a very strict law for driving under influence that can cause serious legal consequences, which means, when you drive after drinking in any of the cities in Florida, you not only risk your freedom and finances, but put your entire future on stake. Every Tampa DUI attorney is faced with various kinds of questions every time they meet a new client. The most common impossible-to-answer question asked to them is – "how many drinks does it take to reach the legal limits in Florida?" Since there isn’t any magic formula that can determine the number of drinks you can intake before becoming legally impaired, it is quite impossible for any Tampa DUI lawyer to provide an exact answer.

Therefore, instead of analyzing the legal limits of drinking and ‘trying’ to stay within the limit, you should always avoid driving any kind of vehicle when you are intoxicated, no matter what the circumstance may be.

Here is a brief overview of Florida DUI laws and punishments:

First Tampa DUI Conviction

• For a First time conviction of driving under influence in Florida, you will end up serving a jail time for up to 6 months. If at the time of arrest a minor was present in your vehicle or you had a BAC of .15% or above, your jail sentence can extend up to 9 months.

• Your vehicle will be immediately impounded for 10 days, unless your family has no other means of transportation.

• You will receive a fine of not less than $500 not more than $1,000. If there was a minor present in the vehicle during the time of arrest or you had a BAC of or above .15%, the fine will be not less than $1,000 not more than $2,000.

• Your drivers’ license will be suspended for 6 months.

• You will also need to do a community service for 50 hours or pay $10 for every hour of community service that you are allotted to.

• As per the court order, you must also complete DUI School.

Second Tampa DUI Conviction

• For a Second time conviction of driving under influence in Florida, you will end up serving a jail time for up to 9 months. If at the time of arrest a minor was present in your vehicle or you had a BAC of .15% or above, your jail sentence can extend up to 12 months.

• If the second conviction is within 5 years of the first conviction, imprisonment of 10 days is mandatory, followed by 48 hours of confinement.

• Your vehicle will be immediately impounded for 30 days, unless your family has no other means of transportation.

• You will receive a fine of not less than $1,000 not more than $2,000. If there was a minor present in the vehicle during the time of arrest or you had a BAC of or above .15%, the fine will be not less than $2,000 not more than $4,000.

• Your divers’ license will be suspended for at least 5 years the second conviction is within 5 years of the first. Under consideration, a hardship reinstatement maybe issued after 1 year.

• As per the court order, you must also complete DUI School.

Third Tampa DUI Conviction

• For a Third time conviction of driving under influence in Florida, you will end up serving a jail time for up to 12 months. 30 days of imprisonment followed by 48 hours of confinement is mandatory.

• Your vehicle will be immediately impounded for 90 days, unless your family has no other means of transportation.

• You will receive a fine of not less than $2,000 not more than $5,000. If there was a minor present in the vehicle during the time of arrest or you had a BAC of or above .15%, the fine will be not less than $4,000.

• Your divers’ license will be suspended for at least 10 years. Under consideration, a hardship reinstatement maybe issued after 2 years.

• As per the court order, you must also complete DUI School.

For Fourth Tampa DUI conviction, you will be marked as a habitual offender as per the State of Florida statutes and will be imprisoned for up to 5 years. Your drivers’ license will be revoked for life, without the possibility of hardship reinstatement and your fine will be not less than $2,000.