In Iowa, OWI is an acronym for Operating While Intoxicated. In Nebraska, DUI is an acronym for Driving Under the Influence. The basic principle of both acronyms is the same: 1) they are misleading and 2.) a person accused of either of these acronyms is alleged to have been Operating/Driving and Motor Vehicle while Impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a combination of the two.
OWI, and its associated full title of Operating a Motor Vehicle While Impaired, is reserved for the State of Iowa. This charge is classified based on the number of prior offenses or convictions for similar crimes a person has. A 1st offense OWI is classified as a Serious Misdemeanor and carries a maximum possible penalty of 1 year in jail. The minimum penalty is 2 days in jail accompanied with a hefty fine. Occasionally, there is a way “around” the 2-day minimum jail sentence and a way to decrease the fine.
DUI, and its associated full title of Driving Under the Influence, is used in Nebraska. Similar to Iowa, the classification of the charge depends, in part, on the number of prior offenses or convictions for a similar crime that a person has. Different from Iowa, DUI classification in Nebraska it also depends on the BAC/BrAC, blood alcohol concentration/breath alcohol concentration, a person has at the time of driving.
Both Iowa and Nebraska impose various restrictions on a person’s ability to drive (or operate) a motor vehicle after being arrested for the respective offense within days of your arrest or citation. Regardless of whether a person has been convicted of an offense of OWI or DUI, Iowa and Nebraska can still take your driver’s license for a period of time and provide the person with limited (or, sometimes, no) options to continue driving. This is further complicated if you are arrested or charged in a different state than the state which issued your driver’s license.
If you’ve been arrested for OWI or DUI, call our experienced lawyers at Berry Law now! If you wait, it may be too late.
