In some states in the US, it isn’t necessary to find out the difference between DUI and DWI. Why bother if both are treated as the exact same thing anyway, right? Well, you might be able to get away with not knowing the DUI and DWI difference in certain US states. However, if you were in Texas, it pays to know the difference between DUI and DWI, for the simple reason that both are two very different crimes in this particular US state. That is to say that both are treated differently by arresting officers and will give you different sentences if you ever get convicted for either of them. So if you want to know the difference between DWI and DUI in Texas, simply keep reading the next few paragraphs for all of the important information you need.

First, it’s important to understand the nature of both of these seemingly minor offenses. DUI is short for driving under the influence while DWI is short for driving while intoxicated. The general public knows these two terms to be interchangeable and indeed they are in certain US states. However, things are different from DUI and DWI in the state of Texas. Driving under the influence is classified as a different offense from Driving While Intoxicated, and as a result, you can get different punishments for either of them so that there is a need to know the difference between DUI and DWI. Now, on to the difference between DUI vs DWI.

In the state of Texas, DUI or driving under the influence means that you are operating a motor vehicle in a public area after alcohol consumption. That is, as long as you have consumed alcohol in whatever amount and it shows, an officer can convict you of driving under the influence. In this case, driving under the influence of alcohol. All that’s necessary for you to get convicted of driving under the influence is to have the smell of alcohol on you. So, if you’ve been drinking as well as driving and you get pulled over by an officer, then there’s a chance that you might just get convicted of driving under the influence if you were in Texas.

Driving under the influence is a misdemeanor classified as Class C in the state of Texas. For being guilty of it, you be fined a maximum of $500 USD and required to do up to 40 hours of community service. For minor defendants, the driver’s license may be suspended for a month on the first offense.

As for DWI, it simply means driving while intoxicated. This is essentially the same thing as driving under the influence or drunk driving facts. But it pays to read the fine print. Driving while intoxicated means that you have lost the ability to operate a motor vehicle in a public place normally due to a previous consumption of alcohol or drug, maybe even a combination of both. Driving while intoxicated is classified as a Class B misdemeanor in the state of Texas. For it, the maximum punishment is six months county jail time and up to a $2000 USD fine. That’s just for the first offense.