Texas Institutes Tougher DWI Laws

Despite laws, public interest campaigns and other efforts to stop drunk driving, people still get behind the wheel when they’re impaired by alcohol or drugs. The Texas Department of Transportation reported that during 2024 more than 1,000 road deaths in the state were caused by motorists operating their vehicle under the influence. To help reduce the number of DWI-related injuries and fatalities, Texas has enacted a new round of statutes designed to punish drunk drivers more severely.

The legislation passed in 2025 addresses many different areas of concern. One provision upgrades the classification of DWI cases where the motorist’s blood-alcohol concentration is .15 percent or higher to a Class A misdemeanor. This level of intoxication is well above the .08 percent standard that is used in most cases for per se drunk-driving charges. With the change, someone convicted of an extreme DWI faces up to one year in jail and a maximum $4,000 fine. 

Senate Bill 826 also shifts other specific drunk-driving crimes into a higher sentencing category. Operating a vehicle in a school zone while the reduced speed limit applies, is now a state jail felony. Likewise, it is now a state jail felony when someone is convicted of DWI for the second time. Incarceration for people found guilty in these cases can range from 180 days to two years. 

As DWI penalties get tougher, prosecutorial leverage increases. It is more important than ever to hire a skillful criminal defense lawyer if you’ve been accused of driving under the influence. Where a guilty plea might have been a reasonable decision in the past, the new legal framework might compel you to fight the allegations. 

There are many potential defenses in a DWI case. Overzealous law enforcement officers might have stopped your car without a reasonable suspicion of illegal activity or arrested you without probable cause. Police could have administered field sobriety tests incorrectly, or misinterpreted something innocuous as an indicator of intoxication. Even breath and blood tests can be mishandled in a way that destroys the validity of their results. 

Our experienced attorneys at Grob & Associates Law Firm PC represent clients in drunk-driving cases and other criminal defense matters from our North Texas offices in Rockwall and Wylie. To schedule a consultation, call us at 972-777-5701 or contact us online.