DUI/DWI Laws By State
November 2008
All 50 states and the District of Columbia have per se laws defining it as a
crime to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above a proscribed
level, 0.08 percent.
License suspension or revocation traditionally follows conviction for
alcohol-impaired driving. Under a procedure called administrative license
suspension, licenses are taken before conviction when a driver fails or refuses
to take a chemical test. Because administrative license suspension laws are
independent of criminal procedures and are invoked right after arrest, they've
been found to be more effective than traditional post-conviction sanctions.
Administrative license suspension laws are in place in 41 states and the
District of Columbia.
Some offenders in 47 states and the District of Columbia are permitted to
drive only if their vehicles have been equipped with ignition interlocks. These
devices analyze a driver's breath and disable the ignition if the driver has
been drinking.
In 32 states, multiple offenders may have to forfeit their vehicles.
Laws prohibiting the driver, passengers, or both from possessing an open
container of alcohol in the passenger compartment of a vehicle are in place in
43 states and the District of Columbia.
| Alabama |
0.08 |
90
days |
no
|
no
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Alaska |
0.08 |
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes
|
driver
|
| Arizona |
0.08 |
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes
|
driver/passenger
|
| Arkansas |
0.08 |
120
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes
|
no |
| California |
0.08 |
4
months |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes
|
driver/passenger
|
| Colorado |
0.08 |
3
months |
yes1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Connecticut |
0.08 |
90
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
no
|
no |
| Delaware |
0.08 |
3
months |
no
|
yes
|
no
|
no |
| District of Columbia |
0.08 |
2-90
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Florida |
0.08
|
6
months |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Georgia |
0.08
|
1
year |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Hawaii |
0.08
|
3
months |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Idaho |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Illinois |
0.08
|
3
months |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Indiana |
0.08
|
180
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Iowa |
0.08
|
180
days |
after 90
days1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Kansas |
0.08
|
30
days |
no |
yes
|
no
|
driver
|
| Kentucky |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Louisiana |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Maine |
0.08
|
90
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Maryland |
0.08
|
45
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Massachusetts |
0.08
|
90
days |
no |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Michigan |
0.082 |
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Minnesota |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 15
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Mississippi |
0.08
|
90
days |
no |
yes
|
yes |
no |
| Missouri |
0.08
|
30
days |
no |
yes
|
yes |
no |
| Montana |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Nebraska |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Nevada |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 45
days1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| New Hampshire |
0.08
|
6
months |
no |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| New Jersey |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| New Mexico |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| New York |
0.08
|
variable3 |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| North Carolina |
0.08
|
30
days |
after 10
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| North Dakota |
0.08
|
91
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Ohio |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 15
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Oklahoma |
0.08
|
180
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver
|
| Oregon |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Pennsylvania |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Rhode Island |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver
|
| South Carolina |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| South Dakota |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
no
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Tennessee |
0.08
|
no
|
not
applicable |
yes
|
yes |
driver4 |
| Texas |
0.08
|
90
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Utah |
0.08
|
90
days |
no |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
| Vermont |
0.08
|
90
days |
no |
no
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Virginia |
0.08
|
7
days |
no |
yes
|
yes |
no |
| Washington |
0.08
|
90
days |
after 30
days1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| West Virginia |
0.08
|
6
months |
after 30
days 1 |
yes
|
no
|
no |
| Wisconsin |
0.08
|
6
months |
yes1 |
yes
|
yes |
driver/passenger
|
| Wyoming |
0.08
|
90
days |
yes1 |
yes
|
no
|
driver/passenger
|
