As the holiday party season draws to a close with New Years, some may be tempted to drive after having a little too much to drink while celebrating.

Being charged with driving under the influence carries not only legal, but also financial consequences, that cost far more than any drink.

“The more the officers have to get involved, the more difficulty the [driver] has,” Edgar Greene, a local attorney and a prosecutor for the Selma municipal court system, said. “DUIs have a myriad of fines and various financial obligations that come with them, depending on the number of [previous] DUIs and the amount of alcohol in the system.”

A judge could issue any sentence from probation for a first offense to jail time for repeat offenders on DUI charges — based on the blood alcohol content when a person was arrested, the court system where the case is being heard and even the age of the offender, Greene said.

Although a suspended sentence — requiring no time in jail — is usually given to those charged with their first DUI, charges can run upwards of $800 for fines and court costs, Greene said.

Attorney fees and other costs only add to the often-overlooked financial implications of a DUI.

“The person is [then] required to meet with a community referral officer, who assesses you for your drinking issues,” Greene said. “Often you would have to attend classes and be alcohol or drug tested. It runs costs up because you have to pay for the testing and the other services.”

Including fees, court costs and the costs of additional testing, Greene said cost for first-time DUI charges can run between $1,000 and $1,500.

“If someone is hurt or killed, charges can be upgraded to felony [status],” he said.

A DUI charge requires a person to be driving with a blood alcohol content at or above .08, which is affected by weight, gender and metabolism.

A law enforcement officer will administer road tests — ways to determine if a person has been drinking by measuring hand-eye coordination — after a suspected drunken driver has been pulled over. A portable device to measure the blood alcohol content is also often used to determine if someone should be charged with driving drunk, Greene said.

He encourages residents to think about how to get home from New Year’s parties, especially for residents who live outside city limits.

“In the more rural areas, lack of public transportation causes the concept of the designated driver become so much more important,” Greene said. “You really need someone who can be able to get everybody home. Spending the night in the county jail is a really bad way to end a celebration.”