If you get behind the wheel after you have had a few drinks, you are at risk of facing criminal charges and a suspended license. It also becomes a part of your criminal record, which can affect your job opportunities and more. The problem becomes compounded when you already have one DUI on your record, and law enforcement pulls you over a second or subsequent time.

You may be able to fight a DUI so that it does not become permanently fixed to your criminal and/or driving records. The drive.KY.gov website identifies the following potential risks for repeat offenders:

• Up to 18-month license suspension for second offense in 10 years
• Up to 36-month license suspension for third offense in 10 years
• Up to 60-month license suspension for a fourth offense in 10 years
• Potential for ignition interlock devices and plate confiscation after a second offense

Kentucky also has penalties in place for refusing to take an alcohol test or anything else used to test sobriety. This ranges from as low as a 30-day license suspension for the first offense in 10 years to a 60-month license suspension for the fourth.

If you need your personal vehicle to drive to and from work, this can spell trouble for you. It is even worse for people who live in rural areas with limited or no public transportation options. The upside of Kentucky’s laws is that it focuses on more than just punishing the offender. A year of alcohol or substance abuse treatment is one of its recommendations every time law enforcement arrests a repeat offender for a DUI.