How much does a DUI cost in Pennsylvania?

By the DUI Cost Guide Editorial Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

A first DUI in Pennsylvania carries a statutory fine of $300. This guide stacks every cost layer an official Pennsylvania source prices — the fine, court costs, the license reinstatement fee, the DUI program, ignition interlock, and the SR-22 insurance filing — and says plainly which layers no official source prices at all.

Pennsylvania DUI costs at a glance	Figure
Statutory fine — first DUI	Pennsylvania fines DUI by alcohol tier under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804. A first offense at the general impairment level carries a flat $300 fine, six months of probation, Alcohol Highway Safety School and any required drug and alcohol treatment. Higher tiers cost more: a fine of $500 to $5,000 at the high rate of alcohol (BAC .10 to .159), and $1,000 to $5,000 at the highest rate (BAC .16 or more, controlled substances, or a refused test).
Statutory fine — second DUI	The statute separates a second offense: $300–$2,500. Second offenses also carry longer suspensions and program requirements — see the sections below.
Court costs & fees	Court costs are imposed by the county court of common pleas and vary by county. No single statewide court-cost figure is published in the official sources reviewed.
License suspension — first offense	Under § 3804(e), a first DUI that is graded as an ungraded misdemeanor carries a 12-month license suspension, but there is no license suspension for a first general-impairment offense with no prior offense. A chemical test refusal brings a separate PennDOT suspension.
License reinstatement fee	PennDOT restores driving privileges once the suspension is served and the requirements in the driver's Restoration Requirements Letter are met, which include a restoration fee set in PennDOT's Schedule of Fees (Form MV-70S). The current amount was not verified from an official page opened for this project.
Ignition interlock	Conditional — restricted license / court order — PennDOT's Ignition Interlock Fact Sheet (July 2025) states that the interlock requirement is mandatory for first-time and repeat DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels and for drivers suspended for a chemical test refusal; other offenders drive on an Ignition Interlock License during restoration. PennDOT puts the average cost of leasing an interlock system at $900 to $1,300 per year.
DUI education / treatment program	A first offender at the general impairment level must attend Alcohol Highway Safety School and comply with drug and alcohol treatment requirements under §§ 3814-3815. The school fee is not published in the official sources reviewed.
SR-22 insurance filing	No SR-22 filing requirement for DUI restoration appears in the official PennDOT materials reviewed; Pennsylvania handles proof of insurance through its own financial responsibility system. This could not be confirmed as a formal 'not required' from an official page, so it is recorded as unverified.

The fine

Pennsylvania fines DUI by alcohol tier under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804. A first offense at the general impairment level carries a flat $300 fine, six months of probation, Alcohol Highway Safety School and any required drug and alcohol treatment. Higher tiers cost more: a fine of $500 to $5,000 at the high rate of alcohol (BAC .10 to .159), and $1,000 to $5,000 at the highest rate (BAC .16 or more, controlled substances, or a refused test).

Court costs & fees

Court costs are imposed by the county court of common pleas and vary by county. No single statewide court-cost figure is published in the official sources reviewed.

License suspension & reinstatement

Under § 3804(e), a first DUI that is graded as an ungraded misdemeanor carries a 12-month license suspension, but there is no license suspension for a first general-impairment offense with no prior offense. A chemical test refusal brings a separate PennDOT suspension.

PennDOT restores driving privileges once the suspension is served and the requirements in the driver's Restoration Requirements Letter are met, which include a restoration fee set in PennDOT's Schedule of Fees (Form MV-70S). The current amount was not verified from an official page opened for this project.

The national picture — which states charge the most to reinstate — is in our license reinstatement guide.

Ignition interlock

PennDOT's Ignition Interlock Fact Sheet (July 2025) states that the interlock requirement is mandatory for first-time and repeat DUI offenders with high blood alcohol levels and for drivers suspended for a chemical test refusal; other offenders drive on an Ignition Interlock License during restoration. PennDOT puts the average cost of leasing an interlock system at $900 to $1,300 per year.

How interlock pricing works (installation, monthly lease, calibration, removal) is in our ignition interlock cost guide.

DUI education & treatment program

A first offender at the general impairment level must attend Alcohol Highway Safety School and comply with drug and alcohol treatment requirements under §§ 3814-3815. The school fee is not published in the official sources reviewed.

SR-22 & insurance

No SR-22 filing requirement for DUI restoration appears in the official PennDOT materials reviewed; Pennsylvania handles proof of insurance through its own financial responsibility system. This could not be confirmed as a formal 'not required' from an official page, so it is recorded as unverified.

What an SR-22 is, which states charge a filing fee, and how long it must be carried: SR-22 cost guide.

Towing, impound & other charges

Drivers who take an Ignition Interlock License pay PennDOT license fees for it (duplicate license fees listed in PennDOT's fact sheet run $42.50, or $48.50 with a motorcycle endorsement). A second offense at the general impairment level carries a fine of $300 to $2,500 under § 3804.

Worked total: the verified charges stacked

Item	Cost
Statutory fine	$300
Total of the verified state-set charges above	$300–$300

That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official Pennsylvania source prices statewide — court costs where they are set county by county, interlock lease payments to a private vendor, towing and storage, and the insurance increase that follows an SR-22. Add your own figures for those in the cost calculator.

Sources: 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804 — Penalties (Pennsylvania General Assembly) · PennDOT — Ignition Interlock Fact Sheet (July 2025). Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.

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