Gerard Ramalho of KSVN investigated DUI offenders in Henderson, Nevada showing up to required DUI School while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. According to KSVN, one of the biggest problems in the Valley are people getting behind the wheel intoxicated. How do Nevada’s DUI penalties stack up to other states, and why is DUI so prominent there?

Judge Bill Kephart, of Las Vegas District Court, says that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has 625 DUI arrests a month. He estimated that half of the DUI offenders that end up in his court room are from out of state, which may point to a problem of Vegas’ reputation as a place where one can break the law without punishment.

So what are Nevada’s DUI laws? For a first or second DUI, you will need to complete a DUI class which you are required to pay for. Other requirements may include a fine and attendance to a MADD panel (victim impact panel). Not completing these requirements within the time you are given could be in violation of your probation, which can result in being sentenced to jail for at least two days.

A first-time DUI can result in a driver’s license suspension for 90 days. A second-time DUI within seven years of your first DUI carries a license suspension of an entire year, and a third DUI in a seven year period can result in a three year license suspension. The Nevada DMV operates separately from the criminal court, so even if you are ultimately found not guilty for DUI, the DMV does not have to retract their imposed license suspension.

According to Judge Bill Kephart, it would be less expensive to travel by cab from Nevada to New York than to pay for a DUI in Nevada. According to Ramalho, the recidivism rate in Nevada is less than 3%.