Criminal Defense
DWI & DUI Defense in Missouri
A DWI charge puts your license, your record, and your freedom on the line, and the clock starts the moment you are arrested. We defend DWI and DUI cases across Mid-Missouri.
What you are facing
What happens after a DWI arrest in Missouri?
In Missouri, driving while intoxicated (DWI) means operating a vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs. A charge is not just a court case. It also triggers a separate action against your driver’s license through the Department of Revenue, often on a tighter deadline than the criminal case itself.
Act quickly
How long do I have to save my license after a DWI?
Your criminal case
The charge moves through the courts, from arraignment through pretrial motions, negotiation, and, if needed, trial. This is where your record and your freedom are decided.
Your driver’s license
Separately, the state can move to suspend or revoke your license. To fight it, you generally have only a short window, often about 15 days, to request an administrative hearing. Miss that window and the suspension can take effect on its own.
Because that license deadline is short, the smartest move after a DWI arrest is to call a lawyer right away.
What is at stake
What are the penalties for a DWI in Missouri?
A first DWI in Missouri is generally charged as a misdemeanor, but the exposure grows fast. Repeat offenses escalate and can become felonies, with longer license loss and real jail time. Certain factors make any DWI more serious, including:
- Prior offenses. Each additional DWI raises the stakes and can move the charge from a misdemeanor to a felony. See what changes on a first, second, or third offense.
- A high blood-alcohol level. An elevated BAC can lead to enhanced penalties.
- An accident or injury. A crash, especially one involving injury, sharply increases the exposure.
- A child in the vehicle. Driving impaired with a minor passenger is treated far more seriously.
- Refusing a chemical test. Under Missouri’s implied consent law, a refusal carries its own license consequences, separate from the criminal case.
How we defend a DWI
How do you defend a DWI charge?
The stop
An officer needs a valid reason to pull you over. If the stop was unlawful, the evidence that followed may be thrown out.
Field sobriety tests
These tests are subjective and easy to administer incorrectly. Health, footwear, road conditions, and the officer’s instructions can all skew the result.
Breath and blood testing
Breath machines must be properly maintained and calibrated, and blood draws must follow strict procedure. We scrutinize the science and the paperwork behind the number.
Procedure and rights
We examine whether the required warnings were given and whether your rights were honored at every step, from the roadside to the station.
Answers
Missouri DWI questions we hear
Can a lawyer get a DWI dropped or reduced in Missouri?
Sometimes. A case can weaken or fall apart where the stop was unlawful, the testing was flawed, or the procedure was not followed, and reduction to a lesser charge is possible in some cases. Nobody can promise an outcome, and anyone who does is telling you what you want to hear.
How long do I have to save my license after a DWI in Missouri?
Not long. In Missouri you typically have only a short window, often about 15 days, to request an administrative hearing after a DWI arrest or a chemical-test refusal. That deadline runs separately from your court date and can pass before your criminal case has really started.
Is a first DWI a felony in Missouri?
Generally, no. A first DWI is usually charged as a misdemeanor. Repeat offenses can be charged as felonies, and certain aggravating factors raise the level of any DWI. The specifics turn on your history and the facts of the case.
How much does a DWI lawyer cost in Missouri?
It depends on whether the case is a first offense or a repeat, whether the license action is contested, and how far the case is likely to go. For many matters we offer a flat fee agreed in advance, quoted before you retain us.
What happens if I refused the breath test?
Refusing a chemical test carries its own license consequences under Missouri’s implied consent law, separate from the criminal case, and it has its own short deadline to contest. A refusal does not mean the criminal case is unwinnable.
Can a DWI be removed from my record?
Missouri allows expungement of a first DWI in some circumstances after a waiting period. Eligibility depends on your record and how the case was resolved. We can tell you whether it may be an option for you.
More on DWI cases: refusing a breath test, whether to request a DOR hearing, marijuana DWI, and when a DWI can mean jail. Can the charge be reduced? See whether a Missouri DWI can be reduced. If someone was hurt, see DWI with injury in Missouri. If you left after a crash, see leaving the scene of an accident.
Where is your case? We defend DWI and DUI charges in Jefferson City and Cole County, Fulton and Callaway County, and Columbia and Boone County.
Talk to us about your case
The sooner we are involved, the more we can do.
If you have been arrested for DWI or DUI, do not wait for the license deadline to pass. Reach out. You can reach us by phone or email.
Attorney advertising. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. Contacting Vindex Law, PC does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case.
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