DUI & DWI in Connecticut

Fines and Fees

1st offense – $1,000 plus

2nd offense – $4,000 plus

3rd offense –$8,000 plus

4th offense – not listed

Insurance

Insurance Increase – $327.60

Total policy increase – $982.80

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CONNECTICUT DUI/ DWI

Driving under influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI) is an offense committed when a driver operates a vehicle after the consumption of alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants. The increased alcohol level in a driver’s blood decreases mental and motor skills. This reduces a driver’s ability to control the vehicle and increases driver errors of judgment and often results in accidents causing severe injuries and even death!

Drunk driving is the single largest cause of motor vehicle related fatalities. It accounts for a high of 38% to 52% of the total number of motor vehicle related deaths each year.

CONNECTICUT DUI/ DWI REGULATIONS

In Connecticut, the Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) limit is set at:

0.08% – for drivers over 21 years of age

0.04% – for commercial drivers (CDL)

0.02% – for drivers under 21 years of age

Having a license in the state of Connecticut automatically renders “implied consent”. “Implied consent” can be used by the officer to test your BAC level if you are stopped on the suspicion of drunk driving, either through a Breathalyzer test or by an actual blood test. Refusing to take the chemical test will result in your license being revoked for at least 6 months. If you are convicted of DUI/DWI, it is recommended that you get in touch with a DUI/DWI lawyer as they are experts at handling such incidents and can offer you the best advice.

Insurance companies keep a close watch on DUI violations. Your insurance premiums may go up drastically, and you may be labeled a “high-risk” customer. Even worse, your insurance company may cancel your policy, leaving you to search for insurance with the “high-risk” driver tag, meaning you’ll have to pay much higher premiums.

CONNECTICUT DUI/ DWI PENALTIES

If convicted of a DUI/ DWI the ramifications include: Heavy Fines, Points on your drivers license, and a License Suspension or Revocation, and higher Insurance Premiums! Points are assessed based on the severity of the offense and the number of convictions. All this information can be found on our website. You could also contact Ticket Counsel absolutely FREE!!!

If you are over 21 years old:

1st Offense
  • Imprisonment for up to 6 months (minimum 2 days).
  • A $1,000 fine.
  • 3 points will be added to your driving record.
  • Your license will be suspended for 1 year.
  • You need to perform 100 hours of community service in lieu of the imprisonment.
  • You may be eligible to drive using the Work Only Driver’s Permit, after 90 days of suspension, and then become eligible to reinstate your license, if you meet the reinstatement requirements.
2nd Offense

(within 10 years) “persistent offender”

  • Imprisonment for up to 2 years (mandatory at least up to 120 continuous days).
  • Up to a $4,000 fine.
  • 3 points will be added to your driving record.
  • Your license will be revoked for 3 years.
  • You need to perform mandatory community service for 100 hours in lieu of the imprisonment.
3rd Offense

(within 10 years) “persistent offender”

  • Imprisonment for up to 3 years (mandatory at least 1 year).
  • Up to an $8,000 fine.
  • 3 points will be added to your driving record.
  • You need to perform mandatory community service for 100 hours in lieu of the imprisonment.
  • Your license will be permanently revoked.
If you are under 21 years old:
  • 3 points will be added to your driving record and your license suspended or revoked, if you are convicted under the “Minor In Possession/Other Alcohol Offenses Law” – trying to purchase, possessing or having purchased any intoxicant; or being intoxicated using alcohol, drugs or other intoxicants; or having a BAC higher than 0.02% while driving.
  • The license may be suspended or revoked for 1 year after the 1st conviction, for 3 years after the 2nd conviction or up to your 21st birthday, which ever is later, and permanently following the 3rd conviction.
  • Minors convicted of possessing alcohol on highways or streets will have their license suspended for 60 days and for 30 days for possessing alcohol on private property or in a public places besides highways or public streets.
  • A 16 or 17 year old caught driving under influence of alcohol will have his administrative license immediately seized by a police officer and suspended for 48 hours and his/her vehicle can be removed from the scene. The license can be suspended for at least 1 year or up to your 18th birthday, whichever is later, if BAC is 0.02% or more. If he/she refuses to be tested the suspension will be for 18 months.
  • You are not eligible to participate in an Ignition Interlock Device program.
  • Aside from these actions, penalties mentioned above for drivers over 21, may also apply to minors if they are convicted of DUI/DWI.
CONNECTICUT PENALTIES FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLE DRIVERS (CDL)
  • 3 points will be added to your driving record and you will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for 1 year, if you are convicted for your BAC being higher than 0.04%. The arresting officer will also issue you an “out-of-service” order valid for 24 hours if BAC is less than 0.04% but there is a detectable amount. Refusing to submit to a test will lead to operator’s license and CDL being suspended for at least 6 months.
  • You will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for at least 3 years, if you are convicted for your BAC being higher than 0.04% while transporting hazardous materials.
  • You will be barred from driving a commercial vehicle for life if you are convicted for any of these offenses for the 2nd time.
  • Aside from these actions, penalties mentioned above for drivers over 21, may also apply to commercial drivers for their 1st and 2nd offenses of DUI/DWI. The other penalties do not apply since they are barred after the second offense.
CONNECTICUT ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS AGAINST DUI/DWI

Connecticut laws have administrative implications in addition to the criminal laws against DUI/DWI. An officer may arrest a driver if:

  • The driver is age 21 and over and is driving with BAC 0.08% or more.
  • The driver is under age 21 and is driving with BAC 0.02% or more.

 

Under this law, if you are arrested for DUI/DWI, the arresting officer will revoke your Connecticut driver license for 24 hours, complete a notice of license suspension/revocation based on the nature of the offense along with warrant, if applicable; and send the entire set to the Administrative Per Se Unit of the Department of Motor Vehicles within 3 working days. The driver can schedule an administrative hearing within 7 days of the notice of suspension/revocation.

 

It is a good idea to consult a DUI/DWI lawyer beforehand. If the hearing goes against the driver, his license will be suspended or revoked based on his previous 10-year driving record. You may be eligible to drive using the Work Only Driver’s Permit, after 90 days of suspension. The suspension or revocation after the final order of the hearing officer is mailed from the Administrative Per Se Unit of the Department of Motor Vehicles. If the driver, however, does not request a hearing, then the suspension/revocation begins after the arrest, and is final.

CONNECTICUT LICENSE REINSTATEMENT for DUI/ DWI SUSPENSION & REVOCATION
If you are convicted of DUI/DWI, it will result in your license being suspended or revoked. This means that your driving privileges will be taken away and you will need to apply for a reinstatement of your license with the Department of Revenue, once the period of suspension or revocation is over.

Reinstating a license after a suspension of 1 year, or revocation will also mean taking the driving tests all over again. These will include the vision test, knowledge test and the road test. If you do not complete the reinstatement requirements, the license will remain suspended or revoked.

  • To complete the reinstatement requirements, you must prove that you have successfully completed the DMV Substance Abuse Treatment Program or a comparable program (the agency will send the proof to the Driver License Bureau once you have completed the program), pay the reinstatement fee of $125, and maintain proof of financial responsibility from the date of suspension/revocation by filing SR-22, if you are over 21 years old. Some eligible offenders can have their DUI charges dismissed if they undergo a Pre-Trial Alcohol Education Program, which involves a $50 application fee and a $100 non-refundable evaluation fee.
  • If you are being convicted for a 2nd time, it is mandatory for the court to order an ignition interlock device to be placed for breathalyzer tests on any vehicle you drive.

 

You can submit the reinstatement application and fees at a DMV office near you. You can also mail the application two weeks before the eligibility date to:

 

Department of Motor Vehicles

Driver Services Division

60 State Street

Wethersfield, CT 06161-2525

 

Six years after license revocation of the 3rd DUI/DWI offense, you can request for your driving privileges to be restored subject to certain conditions. You can submit a written request for hearing to the Administrative Per Se Unit of the Department of Motor Vehicles at:

 

Department of Motor Vehicles

Driver Services Division

60 State Street

Wethersfield, CT 06161-2525

ADDITIONAL CONNECTICUT PENALTY INFORMATION
  • If the court establishes a manslaughter crime in the 2nd degree when in a motor vehicle accompanied with DUI/DWI it can lead to imprisonment of up to 10 years and/or a $10,000 fine. In case of serious physical injury, the punishment is imprisonment of up to 5 years and/or a $5,000 fine.
  • It is against the law to possess an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a motor vehicle when it is on a Connecticut highway or a highway right-of-way.
  • Operating a vehicle during revocation or suspension period of the license also can result in imprisonment of up to 1 year (mandatory 30 days) and/or a $1,000 fine.
  • Even after license is restored the vehicle has to be operated for 24 months with an approved Ignition Interlock Device installed. You can mail the reinstatement application along with check or money order made payable to DMV at least 2 weeks before eligibility date to:

State of Connecticut

Department of Motor Vehicles

Ignition Interlock Device Unit

55 West Main Street

Waterbury, CT 06702

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