First DUI Costs in Lawrence County | Nicholas A. Frisk III

Last updated October 4, 2026.

People usually ask about the fine first, because it is the number they have heard. For a first DUI in Pennsylvania it is often the smallest part of the bill. This page lists the costs that come from the law and from Lawrence County's own published fee schedules, so you can see where the money goes. It does not cover legal fees, which depend on the case. For the overall defense picture, see the main DUI defense page.

When and where is each cost paid in Lawrence County?

The bills arrive in stages, from different offices, as the case moves through the steps described in what happens after a DUI arrest in Lawrence County.

At the jail, if you are held. The county jail at 111 S. Milton Street, New Castle, assesses a $25 booking fee "to each inmate upon arrival at the jail," and takes it out of any money later deposited to the person's account. Bail is a separate question, covered in how bail is set after an arrest in Lawrence County.
At the CRN evaluation. For ARD, the Lawrence County DUI Program contacts you with an appointment, and the county lists the evaluation at $60, paid by you. It comes before ARD (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(b)(1)(ii)) or before sentencing after a conviction (3816(a)).
At safety school. Alcohol Highway Safety School is 12.5 hours of classroom instruction, according to the county, and costs $150.
At the Clerk of Courts, for ARD. The Clerk of Courts schedule lists an ARD Clerk Fee of $19.50 plus a $50 DA Approval Fee, and the statute adds a $50 cost for the state's Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund (3807(b)(1)(ix)).
At sentencing, after a conviction. The county's Collections Department says fines, costs and restitution are ordered at sentencing and that payments should begin immediately afterward. It also says every defendant convicted in the Court of Common Pleas receives a civil judgment, filed with the Prothonotary under 42 Pa.C.S. 9728(b), which is satisfied when the balance is paid.
During supervision. Adult Probation, in the lower level of the Domestic Building across from the Lawrence County Courthouse, charges a $50 monthly supervision fee to everyone on active supervision, and adds the cost of any drug tests to the balance.
At PennDOT, if the license is suspended. Restoration fees and any ignition interlock limited license fee go to PennDOT, and the interlock device is leased from a private vendor, not from the county.

What does a first DUI cost, item by item?

The table compares two possible outcomes for a first general impairment DUI (a blood alcohol level of 0.08% to under 0.10%): a conviction, and ARD.

Published costs of a first general impairment DUI in Lawrence County
Item	Conviction	ARD	Source
Fine	$300	None: ARD may not include a fine	3804(a)(1)(ii); Pa.R.Crim.P. 316(a)(1)
CRN evaluation	$60	$60	County Public Defender page; 3816(a)
Alcohol Highway Safety School	$150	$150	County Public Defender page
ARD Clerk Fee and DA Approval Fee	Not applicable	$19.50 + $50 = $69.50	Clerk of Courts fee schedule
Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund	Not stated in 3804	$50	3807(b)(1)(ix)
Chemical test, including the blood draw	Charged to you	Charged to you	1547(g.1)
Drug and alcohol treatment	If ordered after assessment	If the assessment calls for it	3804(a)(1)(iv); 3807(b)(1)(iii), (viii)
Court or program costs	Costs ordered at sentencing	Costs and a reasonable program charge	County Collections Department; Rule 316(a)(2)
License suspension	None	None below 0.10%	3804(e)(2)(iii); 3807(d)

Added up, the amounts the county and the statute actually publish come to $510 for a first general impairment conviction ($300 + $60 + $150) and $329.50 for ARD ($60 + $150 + $69.50 + $50), in both cases before the cost of the chemical test, any treatment and court costs, which vary from case to case. The CRN and safety school figures appear in the Public Defender's description of ARD; the same evaluation is required before sentencing after a conviction (3816(a)), and safety school is part of a first-offense sentence (3804(a)(1)(iii)). What happens at each is explained in the CRN evaluation and alcohol highway safety school. What ARD involves beyond the money is on the page about getting ARD for a DUI in Lawrence County.

What costs are easy to miss?

The test itself. Section 1547(g.1) puts the cost of chemical testing, "including the drawing of blood," on a driver who is convicted or placed into a program like ARD. The police agency pays only if the driver is found not guilty or the charges are dismissed or withdrawn.
Clerk fees on the cost sheet. The Clerk of Courts schedule also lists a "Clerk Fee" of $180.50, a "Clerk Fee (Trial)" of $240.50, a $5 automation fee and a $10 records management fee. It does not say which items apply to which case, so the cost sheet on your own docket is the number to use.
Municipal costs and restitution. ARD requires paying "the reasonable costs of a municipal corporation in connection with the offense" and restitution to anyone with a financial loss (3807(b)(1)(v), (vi)), which can matter after a crash.
A victim impact panel. The court may order one, and the program may charge a reasonable participation fee (3804(f.1)).
Time. ARD carries six to 12 months of supervision (3807(b)(1)(iv)), and a first conviction carries six months' probation (3804(a)(1)(i)). The county charges its $50 supervision fee to clients on active supervision.

How does the cost change at a higher blood alcohol level?

Sharply. A first high rate DUI (0.10% to under 0.16%) carries a fine of $500 to $5,000 and at least 48 consecutive hours in jail; a first highest rate or drug DUI carries $1,000 to $5,000 and at least 72 hours (3804(b)(1), (c)(1)). Both also bring a 12-month license suspension on conviction. The full set of numbers is in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.

Those cases can also bring ignition interlock. PennDOT says the requirement is mandatory for first-time offenders with high blood alcohol levels, repeat offenders and drivers who refuse testing, and that the driver bears the cost. Its July 2025 fact sheet puts the average cost of leasing a device at $900 to $1,300 a year, and the application fee for an ignition interlock limited license is $80. Under PennDOT's eligibility chart, a first high rate or highest rate offender may apply for that limited license as soon as the suspension notice arrives, and time on it counts toward the one-year interlock requirement. Act 36 of 2026 replaces that license with a single ignition interlock driver's license in November 2027. ARD suspensions are shorter at every level, as shown on the page about how long ARD suspends your license.

What does a refusal cost?

A refusal adds its own bill. Besides the 12 or 18 month suspension (1547(b)(1)), the statute sets a restoration fee of $500 for a first refusal suspension, $1,000 for a second and $2,000 for a third or later (1547(b.2)(1)). PennDOT's online Driver's Manual lists the amounts it charges today as $653, $1,309 and $2,616, payable by certified check or money order, on top of the regular restoration fee under section 1960 of the Vehicle Code. A driver who petitions for an ignition interlock limited license during a refusal suspension sends half of the refusal fee with the petition and pays the rest before an unrestricted license is issued, according to PennDOT's fact sheet.

On the criminal side, a general impairment DUI with a refusal of breath testing, or of blood testing under a valid warrant, is fined at the highest tier: $1,000 to $5,000 on a first offense (3804(c)(1)). Declining the handheld roadside device does not count for the refusal suspension (1547(k)), a difference explained in whether the roadside breath test is the same as the DUI chemical test.

What else changes the answer?

A crash. A general impairment DUI with a crash causing injury or property damage is sentenced at the high rate tier, with its $500 minimum fine and 48 hours (3804(b)(1)), and the court may add conditions aimed at restoring the victim (3804(j)).
A prior DUI within 10 years. ARD is closed in almost every case (3807(a)(2)(i)), fines start at $300 to $2,500 even at the lowest tier, and jail becomes mandatory (3804(a)(2)). The full picture is on the page about what happens on a second DUI in Pennsylvania.
An assessment that finds a treatment need. On ARD, a full assessment is required when the CRN shows a likely substance use disorder or the result was 0.16% or higher, treatment follows its recommendations, and the defendant pays the costs of the evaluation, school and treatment (3807(b)(1)(iii), (viii), (b)(2)).
Serving jail time at home. For a first, second or third DUI, the court may impose probation with restrictive conditions, such as house arrest with electronic surveillance, for at least the mandatory minimum (42 Pa.C.S. 9763(a), (c)). Lawrence County charges $10 a day for the equipment and a one-time $50 hookup fee on top of the $50 monthly supervision fee, all due before the program ends, and the Clerk of Courts lists a $50 DA approval fee on a petition for house arrest.
Your age. A driver under 21 is sentenced at the high rate tier at 0.02% or more (3804(b)), and ARD for a minor carries a 90-day suspension (3807(d)(4)).

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical first-time driver (not a real case) arrested in New Castle with a breath result of 0.12%, no crash and no refusal, who is released that night and never booked at the jail.

If the District Attorney offers ARD, the published items are the $60 CRN evaluation, $150 safety school, $69.50 in clerk and DA fees and the $50 state cost: $329.50, with no fine (Rule 316(a)(1)). The license is suspended for 30 days at that level (3807(d)(2)), and the cost of the breath test is added (1547(g.1)).

If the driver is convicted instead, the case is sentenced at the high rate tier: a fine of at least $500 and at least 48 consecutive hours in jail (3804(b)(1)). With the same $60 evaluation and $150 school, the published amounts start at $710, before court costs and the test. PennDOT then suspends the license for 12 months (3804(e)(2)(i)) and, under its chart, requires a year of ignition interlock to restore driving. Applying for the limited license right away costs $80, and a year of the device averages $900 to $1,300, so the interlock alone can cost more than the fine.

Common mistakes that raise the cost

Assuming ARD is free because it has no fine. It still carries $329.50 in published costs plus the test and any treatment.
Missing a monthly payment. The Collections Department warns of contempt of court, a supervision violation, a license suspension, a credit bureau report, or referral to a collection agency that adds 25% to the balance. A supervision violation can lead to the hearing described in probation violation hearings in Pennsylvania.
Missing the CRN appointment or safety school. The Public Defender's guide says ARD is then revoked and the case listed for trial, where a conviction would bring the fine and any conviction suspension.
Budgeting for the fine but not the license. The refusal fee, the limited license fee and the interlock lease are paid outside the court case and can be larger than the fine.
Driving to keep a job. Driving during a DUI suspension is a separate offense with mandatory jail and its own fine.

What to do this week

Look up your case on the UJS Portal, where the county says fines, costs and restitution appear once they are entered.
Set aside $60 for the CRN evaluation and $150 for safety school, and answer the DUI Program's call about the appointment.
Keep a receipt for every payment; the county says a receipt also shows the current balance.
Open every PennDOT letter the day it arrives and note its mailing date and any fee it lists.
If there was a crash, keep the repair estimates and bills, since restitution is based on financial loss (3807(b)(1)(v)).
If a medical problem will keep you from paying on schedule, tell the Collections Department and bring your doctor's verification, as the county asks.

Frequently asked questions

Can I pay DUI fines and costs over time?

Yes, and in Lawrence County it is expected. The Collections Department says clients are required to enter into a monthly payment plan, set by spreading the total owed over the months of probation or parole.

Why did my balance go up after I made a payment?

The county lists several reasons: drug test costs added during supervision, costs entered late by the Clerk of Courts, transport costs added by the Sheriff's Office, restitution entered late, and payments not yet applied by a collection agency.

Do PennDOT fees go to the court?

No. The ignition interlock limited license petition goes to PennDOT by certified mail with its $80 fee, and refusal restoration fees are paid to PennDOT. The interlock lease is paid to the vendor.

What does it cost to clear an ARD later?

The Clerk of Courts schedule lists $182 for an expungement of record ($132 plus a $50 DA approval fee). Even after expungement, the clerk keeps a certified copy of the ARD completion order for 12 years, used only for a later charge of DUI following diversion (3807(f)). The wider rules are in clearing a criminal record in Pennsylvania.

Are these county figures current?

The Clerk of Courts schedule used here is dated "as of November 25, 2025," and the Public Defender's and Adult Probation's figures were on the county's site when this page was updated. County fees change from time to time, so the amounts on your own court paperwork control. Costs that do not come from a government schedule, such as insurance increases or time away from work, are real but are not listed here because no official source puts a number on them.

If you want a clear picture of what a DUI in Ellwood City, New Castle or anywhere in Lawrence County is likely to involve, including whether ARD is realistic, call me. You work directly with me, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

How much does a first DUI cost in Lawrence County beyond the fine?