Top Criminal Defense Lawyers in Salt Lake City

Utah's 0.05% DUI law

Since December 30, 2018, Utah has had the lowest DUI threshold in the country: 0.05% blood alcohol concentration, instead of the 0.08% used almost everywhere else. For many people that is one or two drinks. You can also be charged below 0.05% if an officer believes you are impaired by alcohol, drugs, or even prescription medication. A first DUI in Utah is a class B misdemeanor that can carry jail time, fines and fees that climb past $1,400, a license suspension, and mandatory alcohol screening. Refusing a chemical test triggers its own license consequences under Utah's implied-consent law.

The license clock runs separately

A DUI arrest sets two cases in motion at once. One is the criminal charge in court. The other is an administrative action against your driver license through the Driver License Division, and you generally have only a short window — about 10 days — to request a hearing to fight the automatic suspension. Miss it and the suspension proceeds regardless of what happens in the criminal case. This is one of the first things a Salt Lake City DUI lawyer handles, because the deadline is unforgiving.

Where Salt Lake City cases are heard

Misdemeanors arising in the city are typically handled in the Salt Lake City Justice Court, while felonies and many serious matters go to the Third District Court, which sits at the Matheson Courthouse on West 500 South. The process usually runs from arrest and booking to an initial appearance, then pretrial conferences where your lawyer reviews the evidence and negotiates, and finally a plea, dismissal, diversion, or trial. Utah offers plea-in-abeyance and diversion options in some cases that can keep a conviction off your record if you complete conditions.

Clearing your record later

If your case ends without a conviction, or after you complete a sentence and a waiting period, you may be able to expunge it under Utah's expungement statute (Utah Code 77-40a). Utah also created an automatic "Clean Slate" expungement process for certain eligible records. A defense lawyer can tell you whether a particular charge is expungeable and how long you must wait, which matters for jobs, housing, and professional licenses down the road.

What criminal defense cases costs in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City defense lawyers usually quote a flat fee for misdemeanors and DUIs — commonly $1,500 to $5,000 depending on complexity and whether the case goes to trial — and either a larger flat fee or hourly billing for felonies, often $5,000 to $25,000 and up. Hourly rates run roughly $200 to $400. Many firms offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Because the administrative license deadline is short and early evidence review shapes the whole case, the value of acting quickly usually outweighs the fee. Ask each firm what the quote covers if the case goes to trial.