Driving Impaired with a Child in the Car
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227m — its own offense, a fine of $500 to $2,000 the first time, and the Department of Children and Families involved
No person may operate a motor vehicle in which a child under eighteen years of age is a passenger while under the influence of liquor or a drug, or with an elevated blood alcohol content, which for a driver under 21 is two hundredths of one per cent.
Who handles this in Connecticut: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Connecticut directory.
- A first conviction carries a fine of not less than $500 or more than $2,000 and up to one year in jail, thirty consecutive days of it not suspended or reduced.
- Probation follows, with 100 hours of community service, an alcohol or drug assessment, treatment if ordered, and an interview and evaluation by the Department of Children and Families on the risk to any child who was in the car.
- The license is suspended for 45 days, then the person drives only with an ignition interlock for one year.
Sources for this section (1)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227m — Operation of motor vehicle with a child passenger while under the influence of liquor or drug or while having an elevated blood alcohol content. Procedures. Penalties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.