What a DUI lawyer costs, and what the rest of it costs
We are not going to print a national average, because there is no honest one. Defense fees swing by state, by county and by whether the case goes to trial. What we can do is show you what moves the number, and be precise about the costs that arrive whatever you decide — those are knowable.
What moves the fee
First offense or repeat
A second or third charge carries mandatory minimums in most states, which changes the work involved.
Whether it goes to trial
Most DUI cases resolve without trial. A flat fee usually covers that path; trial is normally billed separately.
Test refusal or a high reading
Refusals and high BAC readings trigger separate administrative penalties that have to be fought on their own track.
Injury, a child in the car, or a felony charge
These move the case into a different category entirely, both in exposure and in cost.
Where the case is heard
Rates differ sharply between metro areas and rural counties, even inside the same state.
Consultations are normally free, and quotes are normally given after one. Asking two or three costs you nothing except time.
Costs that come regardless
Whether or not you hire anyone, a conviction brings its own expenses. These are the ones people forget when they budget for a lawyer:
- The interlock device. Around $70–$90 to fit and about $70 a month, every month of your term. Some states cap these fees; we publish the caps we have verified.
- The insurance filing. Not a policy and not three years everywhere: one year in Kansas, two in Texas and Missouri, and in Colorado only for as long as the licence is under restraint. What each state actually requires →
- Court costs, fines and reinstatement fees. Set by statute, not negotiable — the published ones are in the table below.
- Alcohol education or treatment. Required before reinstatement in most states.
- Time. Court dates, classes, and a service visit every 30 to 60 days for the device.
Washington State’s own legislative audit put the interlock side alone at about about $2,700 for a year, and roughly $5,000 once insurance and fines are counted. The full breakdown →
What the state charges, where it publishes a figure
Defence fees are a market; these are not. They are set in statute or in a fee schedule, they arrive whether or not you hire anyone, and they are the part of the bill people consistently leave out.
| State | Reinstatement and licence fees | Required programme | Insurance filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $275, $25, $150 | not published | 3 years |
| Colorado | $95, $25 | not published | As long as the restraint runs, up to 3 years |
| Georgia | not published | $100, $235, $25, $360 | 3 years |
| Kansas | $100, or $300 within a year of a prior revocation | not published | 1 year |
| Mississippi | $175, $175, $56 | $225 since January 2024, $275, $50, allowed once and only if there is room, $175 | 3 years |
| Missouri | $45, $20 | $375 — a $126 screening fee plus the $249 supplemental fee, The $249 supplemental fee is still owed to the Department | 2 years |
| Nevada | not published | about $150 | — |
| New York | not published | $75, $12.50, up to $233, $50 | — |
| North Carolina | $167.75, $83.50, $50 | not published | Not applicable |
| Virginia | $30, $30, $40 | not published | 3 years |
Blank means the state publishes nothing, which is itself worth knowing: where no figure exists, the quote you are given is the only number there is. Programme rules by state → · Filing rules by state →
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.