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

Last updated October 4, 2026.

Beyond the fine, a Delaware County DUI usually adds court costs, the required CRN evaluation, Alcohol Highway Safety School, any treatment and supervision fees, plus PennDOT restoration fees and an ignition interlock when the law requires one. In ARD there is no fine at all, because ARD conditions cannot include one, but there are program costs instead. The county and PennDOT set and update these charges, so this page explains each item, who charges it and which law requires it, rather than quoting a total that may be out of date.

Knowing the pieces helps you plan and spot mistakes on a docket. For the penalties themselves, see our main DUI defense page.

What fines does Pennsylvania law set?

The fine is the one figure the Vehicle Code fixes directly. These are the ranges in 75 Pa.C.S. 3804 for convictions:

Where the statute sets only a minimum, the ceiling comes from the grade of the offense under 18 Pa.C.S. 1101: up to $10,000 for a first-degree misdemeanor, $15,000 for a third-degree felony and $25,000 for a second-degree felony. A minor occupant in the vehicle adds its own fine under 3804(c.1). Third and later offenses are where the felony grades come in, as explained in whether a third DUI is a felony in Pennsylvania.

What court costs come with a DUI case?

• Costs and fees required by law. An ARD participant must pay "any other fee, surcharge or cost required by law" and the reasonable costs of the municipality whose police handled the case (75 Pa.C.S. 3807(b)(1)(vi) and (vii)).
• The blood or breath test. The person tested pays the cost of chemical testing, including the blood draw, if convicted or placed in a preadjudication program such as ARD; the requesting agency pays if the charges are dismissed, withdrawn or end in a not guilty verdict (75 Pa.C.S. 1547(g.1)).
• Laboratory or paramedic fee. Where laboratory services were needed to prosecute the case, a person who receives ARD or is convicted of DUI is sentenced to pay a criminal laboratory or paramedic user fee based on the actual cost reported by the lab (42 Pa.C.S. 1725.3).
• Restitution for anyone who suffered a financial loss, and a victim impact panel fee if the court orders you to attend one (3807(b)(1)(v); 3804(f.1)).

What do the evaluation, classes and treatment involve?

Every person convicted of DUI or offered ARD must first be evaluated with the Court Reporting Network (CRN) instruments (75 Pa.C.S. 3816(a)). In Delaware County, the Diagnostic Services department performs court-ordered evaluations for the district courts and the Court of Common Pleas. Its page says the cost of each evaluation is the client's responsibility and is paid to Court Financial Services on the ground floor of the Government Center, 201 W. Front Street, because the department itself does not collect money.

If the CRN calls for it, or your BAC was 0.16% or higher in an ARD case, a fuller drug and alcohol assessment follows, and treatment if recommended (3807(b)(2)). If you have health insurance, the plan may not deny alcohol or drug treatment coverage within its scope just because the problem was identified through that assessment (3807(c)). The county lists approved outpatient and inpatient providers in places including Havertown, Upper Darby, Chester, Broomall, Media and Lima. For a second offense, treatment can also shape the sentence itself; see whether treatment or house arrest can replace jail for a second DUI.

Alcohol Highway Safety School is the 12.5-hour DUI class. Since January 1, 2024, Delaware County's classes are held in person at the Emergency Services Training Center, 1600 Calcon Hook Road in Sharon Hill, and in the Government Center jury room in Media. The county takes payment by money order, debit card or credit card before or on the first day, not cash or checks. In ARD, the participant pays the costs of the school, the evaluation and any treatment (3807(b)(1)(viii)).

What does ARD cost in Delaware County?

The DA's September 2026 application says program costs are due on the day of official entry into ARD unless the DA's office agreed otherwise in advance, and that state law also requires a monthly probation supervisory fee, which can be paid over the supervision period or all at once. By court order, payment is by cash, money order, MasterCard, Visa or MAC, and everything must be paid before probation ends unless the DA or the court waives part of it.

The DA's web page and the September 2026 application each give an approximate total, and the two figures do not match, so rely on the amount in your own acceptance letter. Statewide, Pa.R.Crim.P. 316 allows ARD costs and a reasonable charge for running the program, but no fine, and its comment notes the long-standing practice of letting qualified people who are indigent take part without paying those costs. See how DUI ARD works in Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties for the rest of the program terms.

What does PennDOT charge to give my license back?

• Restoration fee. PennDOT charges a fee to restore any suspended license, and must waive it for someone on an installment agreement or found unable to pay under 42 Pa.C.S. 9730 (75 Pa.C.S. 1960).
• Refusal restoration fee. A refusal adds a separate, larger restoration fee that rises with each prior refusal suspension (75 Pa.C.S. 1547(b.2)). PennDOT says it is paid by certified check or money order, on top of the regular fee. Our page on refusing a breath or blood test explains when it applies.
• License fees. An interlock license carries its own PennDOT application or license fee.

Who pays for the ignition interlock?

You do, when the law requires one. PennDOT's interlock FAQ says the devices are leased from approved vendors, the cost varies by provider, and the person required to have the device bears it. When the new ignition interlock driver's license takes effect under Act 36 of 2026, the law adds protections: a vendor generally may not charge for an installation unless you have PennDOT's restoration requirements letter and the installation is within 30 business days of your eligibility date, and a device is required only in vehicles you will actually drive (75 Pa.C.S. 3805.1). Read driving during a DUI suspension and the new interlock license for timing.

What if I cannot afford all of this?

Say so early. The ARD rule's comment, PennDOT's restoration fee waiver and the county's own waiver language all exist for that reason, and a lawyer can raise them at the right point. If you cannot afford a private lawyer, the county's ARD application tells applicants to contact the Delaware County Office of the Public Defender right away. To check whether ARD is even open to you before planning around its costs, see ARD eligibility in Delaware County.

Delaware County's Court Financial Services office, on the ground floor of the Government Center, posts and disburses the money the Court of Common Pleas orders, including charges from Adult Probation and Diagnostic Services. It accepts cash, money orders, checks, cards and online payments through ePay, and uses payroll deductions when appropriate. The county says it also uses a collection agency for past due accounts and civil judgments against defendants who can pay but do not. Our guide to what to expect at the Delaware County Courthouse shows where that office fits among the others.

What changes the answer?

• ARD or conviction. ARD has program costs and a supervision fee but no fine (Pa.R.Crim.P. 316(a)(1)); a conviction has the statutory fine plus costs. The trade-offs go beyond money; see whether to accept ARD or fight a DUI.
• Your BAC tier and record. The fine range in 3804 rises with the tier and with each prior offense, and a BAC of 0.16% or higher adds the full assessment.
• A refusal. A refusal moves a general impairment conviction into the highest fine column and adds the separate refusal restoration fee.
• A crash. Restitution to anyone with a financial loss is part of both ARD and sentencing (3807(b)(1)(v)).
• Whether an interlock is required. The device lease is the largest ongoing cost for many people, and whether you need one depends on the suspension; the timing is explained in when PennDOT suspends your license after a DUI.
• Treatment. If the assessment recommends treatment, its cost is part of the case; insurance rules in 3807(c) can help.
• The county. Montgomery County requires its DUI Program charges through ePay and court costs paid before ARD admission; see how ARD differs in our three counties.

For example: the cost items in a first-offense ARD case

Here is a hypothetical. A driver arrested in Haverford Township with a 0.13% blood test is accepted into Delaware County's DUI ARD. There is no fine. The bill is made up of items, not a single number: the CRN evaluation, paid to Court Financial Services rather than to Diagnostic Services; Alcohol Highway Safety School, paid by money order or card; the ARD program costs due on the day of entry; the monthly supervision fee over 12 months of probation; the cost of the blood test and lab work, because ARD counts as a preadjudication program under 1547(g.1); and any municipal costs. A 30-day ARD suspension follows from the 0.13% result, so a PennDOT restoration fee is due before the license comes back.

If the same driver had refused testing instead, a 12-month refusal suspension and the separate refusal restoration fee would be added, and the interlock rules could apply. This example is only an illustration; every case depends on its own facts, and current amounts come from the county and PennDOT.

What mistakes do people make with DUI costs?

• Trying to pay Diagnostic Services directly. The department does not collect money; Court Financial Services does.
• Bringing cash or a check to safety school. The county takes money orders and debit or credit cards only.
• Forgetting the monthly supervision fee. It runs through ARD probation, and everything must be paid before probation ends unless waived.
• Letting a balance go past due. The county uses a collection agency and civil judgments for unpaid accounts.
• Assuming a dismissal after ARD means no test cost. The person tested pays when placed in a preadjudication program (1547(g.1)).
• Driving before restoration. A suspension does not end on its own; the restoration requirements, including fees, must be met first.

What should I do this week?

1. Start a folder for every receipt: evaluation, classes, court payments and PennDOT.
2. Check your health insurance for alcohol and drug treatment coverage.
3. Write down your test result or refusal, which drives most of the cost items.
4. If money is tight, tell your lawyer now so waiver and payment plan options can be raised in time.
5. Schedule the CRN evaluation and plan to pay at Court Financial Services or through ePay.
6. Follow the rest of our first-week checklist after a DUI arrest in Delaware County.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fine if I get ARD?

No. ARD conditions can include costs, restitution and a reasonable charge for running the program, but a fine may not be imposed (Pa.R.Crim.P. 316(a)). The Delaware County DA's application lists program costs and the monthly supervision fee instead.

Can I pay over time?

The monthly supervision fee can be paid across the supervision period or all at once, and program costs are due at entry unless the DA agreed otherwise in advance. PennDOT must waive the restoration fee for a person on an installment agreement or found unable to pay (75 Pa.C.S. 1960).

Who pays for the blood test if I am found not guilty?

The agency that requested the test pays when the person is found not guilty or the charges are dismissed or withdrawn (75 Pa.C.S. 1547(g.1)).

Why does the county's ARD total differ from what I was told?

The DA's web page and the September 2026 application each give an approximate figure, and they do not match. Your acceptance letter controls, and a docket shows the costs actually assessed.

Does the arrest itself start costs?

The court process does: the evaluation is required for every DUI offender, and the timeline of hearings is in what happens after a DUI arrest in Delaware County. Fines come only with a conviction.

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation about your DUI case.