Differences Between DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, OVI, DWAI, DUII

DWI Lawyer
A single term which is used to describe a wide range of offenses throughout the United States that differ by individual state law is Drunk Driving. It is considered to be a crime in every state in the nation to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08% or greater.

In addition to that law if you have consumed any amount of alcohol and/or drugs that has significantly reduced your ability to operate a motor vehicle and then to drive a vehicle in this condition is also a crime.

There are a number of terms/abbreviations that are used to describe these drunk driving crimes and their usage varies with the state. The several terms that are being used are:

DUI, DWI, OWI, OUI, OVI, DWAI, and DUII. Most of the people who have offended a drunk driving law get confused by what they were charged with and what are the differences between the various abbreviations that are used to define the drunk driving offense.

The Main Differences between DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, OVI, DWAI, DUII

The most common abbreviation for the crime of drunk driving is DUI. It stands for Driving under the Influence and in the nation it is the most common offense for the crime of drunk driving. In order to define their drunk driving laws most states throughout the US use the term DUI.

States that use the term DUI: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Still other offenses related to drunk driving basically refer to the same crime. There are some slight differences, these differences are based on specific state law.

DWI: DWI is the abbreviation for Driving while intoxicated and this term is used to define drunk driving laws of some states. Below is the list of states that use the term DWI:

States that use the term DWI: Alaska, Arkansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and North Carolina.

OUI: OUI is the abbreviation for Operating under the Influence and it is another term used to describe the crime of drunk driving. This term is used by only (2) states to define their drunk driving laws. The names of these two states are listed below:

States that use the term OUI: Maine, Rhode Island.

OWI: OWI is the abbreviation for Operating While Intoxicated. The laws defined by this term closely resemble the others but only three (3) states use this abbreviation whose names are given below.

States that use the term OWI: Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin.

OVI: OVI is the abbreviation for Operating a Vehicle while Impaired. Initially this abbreviation is only used in the state of Ohio.

States that use the term OVI: Ohio.

DWAI: DWAI is the abbreviation for Driving While Ability Impaired and it is considered to be the lesser form of a drunk driving charge. In this charge fewer penalties are given than a typical drunk driving offense and typically it has less restriction for a driving license.

States that use the term DWAI: Colorado, New York.

DUII: DUII is the abbreviation for Driving under the Influence of Intoxicants. This term is used by only 1 state in order to describe their drunken driving laws.

States that use the term DUII: Oregon.

Overall drunk driving is one of the most serious crimes and it should never be taken lightly. The laws for this crime vary by state and it is advised that you should certainly speak with several experienced DUI Lawyers in your area about your case.

You will be required SR22 insurance for a period of three years before that your states DMV office will reinstate your driver’s license.