A DUI is a class A misdemeanor. Misdemeanors are severe charges and can have a substantial impact on your life. A class A misdemeanor carries a maximum sentence of eleven months and twenty-nine days in jail.
Tennessee requires mandatory minimum jail time for all of those convicted of a DUI, including a first time DUI charge. The minimum sentence for a person convicted of a first time DUI is forty-eight hours in the county jail or workhouse. If the court determined that your blood-alcohol content was .20 or above, then there is a mandatory minimum of seven days in jail. However, after your first DUI charge, the minimum amount of jail time will continue to increase.