DWIs are expensive. The best advice we can give is: don’t get one. But if you do, here are some of the costs you can expect:
Attorney: For a first-time DWI charge you can expect to pay an attorney anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 to represent you and negotiate a disposition with the district attorney’s office. That amount generally does not include representing the client at a trial. Trials are almost always an additional cost.
Evaluation: You will need to have an alcohol evaluation for your attorney to provide to the district attorney’s office. The evaluation can cost between $200 and $500 and if the evaluator determines that the driver would benefit from alcohol treatment, the treatment programs can run from $500 to $4,000.
Fines: For a first-time DWI, there will be a mandatory fine of between $300 and $500, as well as a $265 mandatory surcharge.
DDP: The enrollment fee for the mandatory Drinking Driver Program is $300.
Driver Assessment Fee: In addition, you will be subject to New York’s Driver Assessment Fee (NYDAF). The NYDAF is $250 annually for three years for a total of $750.
Insurance Costs: Lastly, if your insurance company does not drop your coverage altogether, you can expect your insurance rates to increase dramatically.