First Offense

No. A DWI conviction is not expungable since it does not involve a criminal offense. You should also know that although there is a 10 year step-down of DWI penalties, a conviction for violating N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 remains permanently on a driving record.

Unlike most states, a DWI is not criminal in New Jersey.  Accordingly, there is no criminal record that exists when someone is convicted for a first, second, or even third offense.  A DWI conviction will, however, appear on a motorist’s driving record.

A primary reason for the assessment of points is to impose surcharges. Since a DWI conviction automatically triggers a $1,000 surcharge, it would be unfair to levy points that would lead to a second round of surcharges for the same incident. This is why no points are assessed for a…

You face a mandatory license suspension of 4-6 months for a first offense if your blood alcohol concentration (“BAC”) is .15% or higher. The period of suspension in cases where the BAC is below .15% is limited to that time, if any, it takes a motorist to install an ignition…

As a general rule, jail time isn’t imposed when someone is sentenced for their first DWI offense. While the DWI law allows a judge to impose up to 30 days in jail, this isn’t a mandatory penalty and it is rarely imposed.