What will happen if you’re pulled over for drunk driving? All 50 states and the District of Columbia have laws that define a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 as legally drunk.
Effective Dec. 30, 2018, Utah’s BAC will be set at 0.05 percent.
Forty-eight states and D.C. have increased penalties for convictions for BAC levels higher than .08
Typically, license suspension or revocation follows a conviction for drunk driving. In addition, 44 impose an administrative license suspension, where licenses are taken before conviction when a driver fails or refuses to take a chemical test.
All states have some form of ignition interlock program. Twenty-seven states (and four California counties) have made ignition interlocks mandatory or highly incentivized for all convicted drunk drivers, even first-time offenders. An additional three states mandate interlocks for high BACs, eight states require them for repeat offenders; and 8 states for both high BAC and repeat offenders. The remaining four states and D.C. make interlocks discretionary.
Another consequence of a drunk-driving violation is that car insurance after DUI is more expensive. The average percentage hike is 80 percent ($1,163 more a year), according to Insure.com’s rate analysis.
Review the chart below for more information. Source: Governors Highway Safety Association; as of April 2018.
Alcohol-Impaired Driving Laws By State
| State | Inc.Penalty for High BAC | Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense | Limited Driving Privileges During Susp. | Ignition Interlocks | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Open Container Laws* | Repeat Offender Laws* | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| *Meeting Federal Requirements | ||||||||
| Alabama | 0.15 | 90 days | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Alaska | 0.15 | 90 days | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle impoundment | Yes | ||
| (at judges’ disc.) | ||||||||
| Arizona | 0.15 | 90 days | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Immobilization or impoundment | Yes | Yes | |
| Arkansas | 0.15 | 6 months | Yes | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| California | 0.15 | 4 months | After 30 days | Discretionary | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |
| Mandatory for all convictions in Alameda, Los Angeles, Tulare and Sacramento counties (pilot project) | ||||||||
| Colorado | 0.15 | 3 months | Yes | Highly incentivized for all convictions | Yes | Yes | ||
| Connecticut | 0.16 | 90 days | Yes | Mandatory for all convictions | Yes | |||
| Delaware | 0.16 | 3 months | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle sanction and license plate impoundment | Yes | Yes | ||
| D.C. | .20 and .25 | 2-90 days or until deposition | Yes | Discretionary | Yes | Yes | ||
| Florida | 0.2 | 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 | |||||||
| Georgia | 0.15 | 1 year | Yes | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Guam | From .08 to.10 | Discretionary | Yes | Yes | ||||
| Hawaii | 0.15 | 3 months | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Idaho | 0.2 | 90 days | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions(eff. 1/1/19) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Illinois | 0.16 | 6 months | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |
| Indiana | 0.15 | 180 days | After 30 days | Discretionary | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |
| Iowa | 0.15 | 180 days | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions(eff. 7/1/18) | Yes | Yes | ||
| Kansas | 0.15 | 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| Kentucky | 0.18 | 30 – 120days | Yes | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Impoundment | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Louisiana1 | .15 and .20 | See footnote | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | |||
| Maine | 0.15 | 90 days | Yes | Highly incentivized for all convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |
| Maryland | 90 days | Yes, w/ interlock | Mandatory for all convictions | Yes | Yes | |||
| Massachusetts | .20 (appliesto ages 17-21) | 90 days | Yes | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Michigan2 | 0.17 | See footnote | After 45 days | Mandatory for high BAC convictions, restricted driving conditions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minnesota | 0.16 | 90 days | After 15 days | Mandatory for high BAC and repeat convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation,special plates/ | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| markings | ||||||||
| Mississippi | 90 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |||
| Missouri | 0.15 | 90 days | After 0 days w/ interlock use (restricted) | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Vehicle forfeiture or impoundment (cities w/ 100,000+allowed to enact ordinance) | Yes | Yes | |
| After 30 days | ||||||||
| (restricted) | ||||||||
| Montana | 0.16 | 6 months | Yes | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nebraska | 0.15 | 90 days | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle immobilization, continuous alcohol monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nevada | 0.18 | 90 days | After 45 days | Mandatory forall convictions | Yes | Yes | ||
| New Hampshire | 0.16 | 6 months | Mandatory for high BAC convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| New Jersey | 0.1 | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| New Mexico | .16 (w/ mand. jail on all offenses) | Immediately w/ Ignition Interlock | Mandatory for all convictions | Immobilization of vehicle for driving while revoked | Yes | Yes | ||
| >21: 6 mo. | ||||||||
| New York | 0.18 | Yes | Yes | Mandatory for all convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| North Carolina | 0.15 | 30 days | After 10 days | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |
| North Dakota | 0.18 | 91 days | After 30 days | Discretionary | Vehicle confiscation, license plate removal | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 30 days – | Yes | Yes | |||||
| Ohio | 0.17 | 90 days | After 15 days | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation or immobilization, restricted plates | Yes | Yes | |
| Oklahoma | 0.15 | 180 days | Yes | Mandatory for all convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Oregon | 0.15 | 90 days | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions and diversions | Yes | Yes | ||
| Pennsylvania3 | 0.1 | See footnote | Mandatory for high BAC (>.10) and repeat convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| (eff. 8/25/17) | ||||||||
| Rhode Island | .10 and .15 | Mandatory for all convictions | Judicial discretion on 3rd or subsequent conviction | Yes | ||||
| South Carolina | 0.15 | 1 month(for >.15 BAC) | Yes | Mandatory for repeat convictions and for first-time offenders convicted of having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15% orhigher | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| South Dakota4 | 0.17 | See footnote | Yes | Discretionary | Yes | |||
| Tennessee | 0.2 | 1 year | Yes | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle confiscation on 2nd or subsequentconviction | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Texas | 0.15 | 90 days if.08 or greater; 180 days for refusal | Yes | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Utah | 0.16 | 120 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Impoundment | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Vermont | 90 days | Mandatory for repeat convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | |||
| Virgin Islands | Variable | Yes | Revoke license plate | Yes | Yes | |||
| Virginia | .15 and .20 | 7 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | ||
| Washington | 0.15 | 90 days | With an ignition interlockdriver’s license | Mandatory for all convictions | Mandatory tow and 12 hour impound | Yes | ||
| West Virginia | 0.15 | 6 months | After 30 days | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Wisconsin | .17, .20 and.25 | 6 months | Yes | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Wyoming | 0.15 | 90 days | Yes | Mandatory for high BAC (>.15) and repeat convictions | Yes | |||
| Total States | 48 + D.C., 1Terr. | 44 + D.C.,2 Terr. | 38 + D.C., 1Terr. | Mandatory For | Varies | 33 + 3Terr. | 28 +D.C., 3Terr. | 37 |
| All (25) | ||||||||
| High BAC (3) | ||||||||
| Repeat (9) | ||||||||
| High BAC & Repeat (8) | ||||||||
| Disc.: 5 + D.C. |
1 Louisiana requires a 45 day hard suspension of driving privileges for a second DWI conviction.
2 Michigan has administrative license suspension for for refusal to submit to chemical test.
3 Pennsylvania uses programs called Occupational Limited License (OLL) and Ignition Interlock Limited License (IILL).
4 South Dakota has administrative license suspension for 30 days for refusal to submit to chemical test.