South GA Gets First In-House DUI Testing Capabilities

The Valdosta Police Department said its new DUI testing capabilities will save innocent people’s time, law enforcement’s energy and the taxpayers’ money.

This is the only local DUI accredited laboratory in the state of Georgia.

“We’re extremely excited. This has been a goal of the crime laboratory since 2010,” said Crime Lab Director Becky Parker-Hall.

After 18-months of training, Hall said they can now perform blood-alcohol testing in-house. Something Valdosta Police Chief Leslie Manahan said they are excited to have as a resource in South Georgia.

“Prosecution is fast and this is going to speed it up. In the past, we’ve had to wait months for the GBI to get results. With our lab being able to handle this, we’re going to have results in a couple of weeks,” said Manahan.

They’re also hoping to help those who are just waiting in jail and costing the taxpayers money.

DUI Laws | What You Need to Know

DUI laws vary from state to state, but driving with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater is illegal in all 50 states. The laws make it illegal for drivers of all ages to operate motor vehicles if they have BAC percentages of:

0.08% or higher, if they’re 21 years old or older operating regular passenger vehicles.
0.04% or higher, if they’re operating commercial vehicles.
0.02% or higher, if they’re younger than 21 years old.

Georgia State law also requires clinical evaluation and the attendance of a DUI / Risk Reduction Program that’s certified/licensed by the Georgia Department of Driver’s Services before your driver’s license can be reinstated if you have been charged with any of the following: