Penalties for drunk driving
Each state sets its own speed limits, and it also decides what to do about drunk driving in the state. The table below shows how states define drunk driving, whether they immediately suspend the driver's license for first-time offenders, how long offenders have to wait until they can drive again, and whether drunk drivers face having their vehicles impounded or fitted with an ignition interlock. Administrative license suspensions happen independent of the criminal process, which means drunk drivers get taken off the roads that much more quickly. Interlocks analyze a driver's breath and disable the ignition when they detect alcohol.
You'll notice that there are different figures for adults and youths. That's a result of the zero-tolerance measure passed by Congress in 1995, and subsequently by the states. It sets a different standard for drivers under the age of 21, who cannot legally drink alcohol.
Drunk driving per se
Per se is Latin for in itself, or intrinsically. An "illegal per se" law means that it is illegal in and of itself for you to be caught driving if your Blood Alcohol Concentration is over a certain amount (.10 or .08 percent, depending on the state).
In places without an "illegal per se" law, your BAC is just one of the factors that determines whether or not you're a drunk driver. Other factors would include slurred speech, unsteady gait and all those other things that the police look for when they give those roadside tests. Every state except Massachusetts and South Carolina has an "illegal per se" law.
| State |
BAC defined as illegal per se |
Admin. license suspension 1st offense (3) |
Restore driving privileges during suspension? (3),(4) |
Do penalties include
interlock/
forfeiture? (5) |
| |
Adult (1) |
Youth (2) |
|
|
Adult |
Youth |
| Alabama |
0.08 |
0.02 |
90 days |
no |
no |
no |
| Alaska |
0.10 |
0.00 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
yes |
| Arizona |
0.10 |
0.00 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
no |
yes |
| Arkansas |
0.10 |
0.02 |
180 days |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| California |
0.08 |
0.01 |
4 months |
after 30 days |
yes |
yes |
| Colorado |
0.10 |
0.02 |
3 months |
no |
yes |
no |
| Connecticut |
0.10 |
0.02 |
90 days |
yes |
no |
no |
| Delaware |
0.10 |
0.02 (1) |
3 months |
no |
yes |
no |
| District of Columbia |
0.10 |
0.02 |
2-90 days |
yes |
no |
no |
| Florida |
0.08 |
0.02 |
6 months |
yes |
yes |
no (6) |
| Georgia |
0.10 |
0.02 |
I year |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Hawaii |
0.08 |
0.02 |
3 months |
after 30 days |
yes |
no |
| Idaho |
0.08 |
0.02 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
no |
| Illinois |
0.08 |
0.00 |
3 months |
after 30 days |
yes |
no |
| Indiana |
0.10 |
0.02 |
180 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
no (6) |
| Iowa |
0.10 |
0.02 |
180 days |
yes |
yes |
no (6) |
| Kansas |
0.08 |
0.02 |
30 days |
no |
yes |
no (6) |
| Kentucky |
0.10 |
0.02 |
-- |
-- |
no |
no |
| Louisiana |
0.10 |
0.02 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
no (6) |
| Maine |
0.08 |
0.00 |
90 days |
yes |
yes |
no (6) |
| Maryland |
0.10 |
0.02 |
45 days |
yes |
yes |
no (6) |
| Massachusetts |
none (1) |
0.02 |
90 days |
no |
no |
no |
| Michigan |
0.10 |
0.02 |
n/a |
n/a |
yes |
no |
| Minnesota |
0.10 |
0.00 |
90 days |
after 15 days |
no |
yes (6) |
| Mississippi |
0.10 |
0.08 |
90 days |
no |
no |
yes |
| Missouri |
0.10 |
0.02 |
30 days |
no |
yes |
yes |
| Montana |
0.10 |
0.02 |
n/a |
n/a |
yes |
yes (6) |
| Nebraska |
0.10 |
0.02 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
no |
| Nevada |
0.10 |
0.02 |
90 days |
after 45 days |
yes |
no |
| New Hampshire |
0.08 |
0.02 |
6 months |
no |
no |
no (6) |
| New Jersey |
0.10 |
0.01 |
n/a |
n/a |
no |
no |
| New Mexico |
0.08 |
0.02 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
no |
no |
| New York |
0.10 |
0.02 |
varies (7) |
yes |
yes |
yes (6) |
| North Carolina |
0.08 |
0.00 |
10 days |
no |
yes |
yes |
| North Dakota |
0.10 |
0.02 |
91 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
yes (6) |
| Ohio |
0.10 |
0.02 |
90 days |
after 15 days |
yes |
yes (6) |
| Oklahoma |
0.10 |
0.00 |
180 days |
yes |
yes |
no |
| Oregon |
0.08 |
0.00 |
90 days |
after 30 days |
yes |
no (6) |
| Pennsylvania |
0.10 |
0.02 |
n/a |
n/a |
no |
yes |
| Rhode Island |
0.10 |
0.02 |
n/a |
n/a |
yes |
yes |
| South Carolina |
none (1) |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
no |
yes |
| South Dakota |
0.10 |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
no |
no (6) |
| Tennessee |
0.10 |
0.02 |
n/a |
n/a |
yes |
yes |
| Texas |
0.10 |
0.00 |
60 days |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Utah |
0.08 |
0.00 |
90 days |
no |
yes |
no (6) |
| Vermont |
0.08 |
0.02 |
90 days |
no |
no |
no |
| Virginia |
0.08 |
0.02 |
7 days |
no |
yes |
no (6) |
| Washington |
0.08 |
0.02 |
n/a |
n/a |
yes |
yes |
| West Virginia |
0.10 |
0.02 |
6 months |
after 30 days |
yes |
no |
| Wisconsin |
0.10 |
0.02 (2) |
6 months |
yes |
yes |
yes |
| Wyoming |
0.10 |
n/a |
90 days |
yes |
no |
no (6) |
Notes:
- Special BAC for young drivers applies to people younger than 21 except in Wisconsin, where the age is 19.
- Information pertains to drivers in violation of the BAC defined as illegal per se for all drivers, not the special BAC for young drivers.
- Drivers usually must demonstrate special hardship to justify restoring privileges during suspension, and then privileges are often restricted.
- A multiple offender's vehicle may be seized and disposed.
- An offender's vehicle may be impounded or immobilized, the registration may be suspended, or the license plates may be confiscated. In New York, registration suspension applies only to offenders younger than 21. In Montana, impoundment applies only to offenders younger than 18.