A first DUI in Idaho: what it can result in

Idaho writes the first offense as ceilings rather than minimums: jail may not exceed six months and the fine may not exceed $1,000. What is not optional is the evaluation — the court orders an alcohol and substance use assessment at your expense before sentencing, and where it recommends treatment, treatment is presumed necessary unless you show otherwise.

Start from what the statute forces and what it leaves to the judge. The floor here is up to 6 months. Everything above that floor is argued, and the same conviction can end up served in custody, on work release or as a condition of probation depending on the county and the judge. What no one can promise you is a sentence below the statutory minimum — that is not a question of persuasion.

Misdemeanor: up to 6 months, and a fine of up to $1,000. The range is set by Idaho Code § 18-8005(1), and the figures on this page come from the statute rather than from a summary of it.

Idaho separates the administrative side from the court case: the Transportation Department handles the license suspension, the reinstatement fee and the restricted driving permit, while the court sets the sentence. The interlock belongs to the administrative track — it is what makes a restricted permit possible while the suspension runs. The device requirement and the criminal penalty are separate tracks: one is handled by the court, the other by Idaho Transportation Department, with the court setting the sentence.