Different states have different laws, and sometimes a slightly different name may be applied for the same criminal act depending on which jurisdiction you're looking at.

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I am a criminal defense attorney. I specialize in DUI law.

In my state, a DUI (stands for "driving under the influence") means that you were driving a vehicle while your breath alcohol content was 0.08 or above.

In my state, a DWI (stands for "driving while impaired") means that you were driving a vehicle while your breath alcohol content was between 0.06 and 0.07. It's a less serious charge with a lower punishment range.

However, other states have different laws, and they call them different things. In Texas, DWI stands for "driving while intoxicated", and it's the equivalent of our DUI.

Ah ok. The fact that each state has a different meaning for both terms makes it so difficult to differentiate. Thank you.

You're welcome. That's also going to be the case with basically any kind of crime. I see questions here about "what is 2nd degree manslaughter?" or some other thing. The answer is that it varies state by state.

It’s so frustrating how one thing could be a misdemeanor or legal in one state and a felony or illegal in another. You can’t even claim ignorance of the local laws. It’s all messed up.

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