State Drunk Driving Laws
All states define driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 percent as acrime, but specific laws and penalties vary substantially from state to state.
42 states, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands haveadministrative license suspension (ALS) on the first offense. ALS allows law enforcement toconfiscate a driver's license for a period of time if he fails a chemical test. Most of these states allowlimited driving privileges (such as to/from work).
All states have some type of ignition interlock law, in which judges require all or some convicteddrunk drivers to install interlocks in their cars to analyze their breath and disable the engine ifalcohol is detected. 19 states (and 4 California counties) have made ignition interlocks mandatory orhighly incentivized for all convicted drunk drivers, even first-time offenders.
Federal law mandates that states adopt open container and repeat offender laws meeting specificrequirements. Otherwise, a portion of Joseph Mchugh Lawyer the state's surface transportationfunding is transferred to the state DOT or State Highway Safety Office.
Alcohol exclusion laws allow insurance companies to deny payment for treatment of drunk drivers'injuries, but they have limited doctors' abilities to diagnose alcohol problems and recommendtreatment. Some states have repealed such laws.
NOTE: GHSA does not compile any additional data on drunk driving laws other than what ispresented here. For more information, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.
Ala.
.15
90 days
Â
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Â
Pending review by NHTSA & FHWA
Pending review by NHTSA & FHWA
Yes
Alaska
.15
(at judges' disc.)
90 days
After 30 days
Mandatory for all convictions
Vehicle impoundment
Â
Â
Yes
Ariz.
.15
90 days
After 30 days
Mandatory for all convictions
Immobilization or impoundment
Yes
Â
Yes
Ark.
.15
6 months
Yes
Mandatory for all convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Â
Yes
Yes
Calif.
.15
4 months
After 30 days
Discretionary
Mandatory Joseph Mchugh Attorney for all convictions in Alameda, Los Angeles, Tulare andSacramento counties (pilot project)
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation
Yes
Â
Yes
Colo.
.17
3 Joseph Mchugh Lawyer months
Yes
Highly incentivized for all convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Conn.
.16
90 days
Yes
Mandatory for all convictions
Â
Â
Yes
Â
Del.
.16
3 months
Â
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions
Vehicle sanction and license plate impoundment
Â
Yes
Yes
D.C.
.20 and .25
2-90 days or until disposition
Yes
Discretionary
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Fla.
.20
6 months for DUI
After 30 days
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) convictions
Impoundment, vehicle forfeiture
Yes
Yes
Yes
12 months for refusal
After 90 days
Ga.
.15
1 year
Yes
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Guam
From .08 to .10
Â
Â
Â
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Hawaii
.15
3 months
After 30 days
Mandatory for all convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
Idaho
.20
90 days
After 30 days
Discretionary
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ill.
.16
6 months
After 30 days
Mandatory for all convictions
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Â
Ind.
.15
180 days
After 30 days
Discretionary
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Â
Iowa
.15
180 days
After 30 days
Discretionary
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Kan.
.15
30 days
Â
Mandatory for all convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ky.
.18
30 - 120 days
Yes
Discretionary
Impoundment
Yes
Yes
Yes
La. 1
.15 and .20
See footnote
Â
Mandatory for all convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Â
Â
Yes
Maine
.15
90 days
Yes
Highly incentivized for all convictions
(eff. 12/2013)
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Â
Md.
.15
45 days
Yes, under certain circum-
stances
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Mass.
.20 (applies to ages 17-21)
90 days
Yes
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mich. 2
.17
See footnote
After 45 days
Mandatory for high BAC convictions, restricted driving conditions
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Minn.
.20
90 days
After 15 days
Mandatory for high BAC and repeat convictions
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation, special plates/
markings
Yes
Â
Yes
Miss.
Â
90 days
Â
Mandatory for all convictions
(eff. 10/2014)
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation
Â
Yes
Yes
Mo.
.15
90 days
After 0 days w/ interlock use (restricted)
After 30 days
(restricted)
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Vehicle forfeiture or impoundment (cities w/ 100,000+ allowed to enact ordinance)
Â
Yes
Yes
Mont.
.16
Â
Â
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation
Yes
Â
Yes
Neb.
.15
90 days
After 30 days
Mandatory for all convictions
Vehicle immobilization, continuous alcohol monitoring
Yes
Yes
Yes
Nev.
.18
90 days
After 45 days
Discretionary
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
N.H.
.16
6 months
Â
Mandatory for high BAC convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
N.J.
.10
Â
Â
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
N.M.
.16 (w/ mand. jail on all offenses)
<21: 1 yr.;
>21: 6 mo.
Immediately w/ Ignition Interlock
Mandatory for all convictions
Immobilization of vehicle for driving while revoked
Yes
Â
Yes
N.Y.
.18
Yes
Yes
Mandatory for all convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
N.C.
.15
30 days
After 10 days
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Â
N.D.
.18
91 days
After 30 days
Discretionary
Vehicle confiscation, license plate removal
Yes
Yes
Yes
M.P.
Â
30 days -
<6 months
Â
Â
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Ohio
.17
90 days
After 15 days
Discretionary
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation or immobilization, restricted plates
Yes
Â
Yes
Okla.
.15
180 days
Yes
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15), repeat convictions, and refusals
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ore.
.15
90 days
After 30 days
Mandatory for all convictions and diversions
Â
Yes
Yes
Â
Pa. 3
.16
Â
See footnote
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
R.I.
.10 and .15
Â
Â
Judicial discretion on 2rd or subsequent conviction
Judicial discretion on 3rd or subsequent conviction
Yes
Â
Â
S.C.
.15
1 month (for >.15 BAC)
Yes
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Yes
S.D. 4
.17
See footnote
Yes
Discretionary
Â
Yes
Â
Â
Tenn.
.20
Â
Â
Mandatory for all convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Â
Yes
Yes
Texas
.15
90 days if .08 or greater; 180 days for refusal
Yes
Mandatory for repeat convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Utah
.16
120 days
Â
Mandatory for all convictions
Impoundment
Yes
Yes
Yes
Vt.
Â
90 days
Â
Discretionary
Impoundment, vehicle confiscation
Yes
Â
Yes
V.I.
Â
Variable
Yes
Â
Revoke license plate
Yes
Yes
Â
Va.
.15 and .20
7 days
Â
Mandatory for all convictions
Vehicle confiscation
Â
Yes
Yes
Wash.
.15
90 days
With an ignition interlock driver's license
Mandatory best dui attorney in Tempe for all convictions
Mandatory tow and 12 hour impound
Yes
Â
Â
W.Va.
.15
6 months
After 30 days
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions
Â
Â
Yes
Yes
Wis.
.17, .20 and .25
6 months
Yes
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions
Â
Yes
Yes
Yes
Wy.
.15
90 days
Yes
Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions
Â
Â
Â
Yes
Total States
48 + D.C., 1 Terr.
42 + D.C., 2 Terr.
36 + D.C., 1 Terr.
Mandatory For
All (19)
High BAC (4)
Repeat (8)
High BAC & Repeat (8)
Disc.:
11 + D.C.
Varies
30 + 3 Terr.
26 + D.C., 3 Terr.
37
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