In 2012, Nebraska made some considerable changes to its DUI laws. One of the most prevalent of these changes is an increase in the amount of time that a judge will take into account past offenses. Prior to 2012, only criminal records that stretched back 12 years had an impact on sentencing. Currently, offenses that stretch back 15 years can have a bearing on each individual case. There have also been changes that impact the severity of penalties for driving under the influence while a child is present in a vehicle. Also related to children, Nebraska has made the death of an unborn child during an alcohol-related accident a separate crime from the DUI itself. The final change to DUI laws in Nebraska allows for the granting of a 15-day, temporary license to anyone who has been arrested for a DUI or those that refuse a chemical test to determine whether or not they are under the influence of any other drug.
The BAC, or blood alcohol concentration, that constitutes a DUI for persons over the age of 21 is standard for all states in the nation. A driver with a BAC of .08 percent or above will be taken into custody. There are also Nebraska DUI laws in place that constitute a
zero tolerance” stance by law enforcement in regards to minors. Anyone under the age of 21 will be arrested if they have a BAC that is .02 percent or above.
Nebraska is also somewhat unique due to the fact that it has a commercial limit in place for BAC readings that differ from the above limits. Drivers of commercial vehicles cannot have a BAC that is at or above .04 percent.
Like many other states, Nebraska also has an implied consent law in place. Refusal to submit to Breathalyzer testing or chemical testing can result in an automatic suspension of one’s license. This punishment can also be compounded by multiple offenses. Refusal to submit to testing on the first offense can result in a license suspension of 90 days in addition to an impounded vehicle.
Nebraska DUI Penalties
There is the possibility of jail time that can come with each DUI offense in Nebraska. The sentence can vary depending on the individual case and the presence of prior offenses on one’s record in Nebraska or any other state. Time spent behind bars is left to the discretion of the judge overseeing the case. Defendants can face as many as 90 days behind bars when they are caught for their third offense. It is possible in this state to plea for a lesser offense, however. When this is the case, a defendant can be convicted on a charge of reckless driving, known as a “wet reckless” charge, rather than a DUI offense.
A DUI offense in Nebraska does not fall into the category of a felony until the offending person has had three prior offenses that have occurred within the past 12 years. Without these circumstances in place, a DUI only constitutes a felony when another party experiences serious injury or death.