DUI Penalties
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a — a first conviction is a fine of $500 to $1,000, a 45 day suspension, then a year with an ignition interlock
No person may operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug or both, or while having an elevated blood alcohol content: eight hundredths of one per cent or more by weight, or four hundredths for a commercial motor vehicle. A snowmobile and an all terrain vehicle count as motor vehicles here.
Who handles this in Connecticut: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Connecticut directory.
| Conviction | Fine and jail | License |
|---|---|---|
| ConvictionA first | Fine and jail$500 to $1,000, and up to six months with forty eight consecutive hours that may not be suspended or reduced, or six months suspended entirely with probation and 100 hours of community service | LicenseSuspended 45 days, then an ignition interlock on every vehicle owned or operated for one year |
| ConvictionA second within ten years | Fine and jail$1,000 to $4,000, and up to two years with one hundred twenty consecutive days that may not be suspended or reduced, then probation with 100 hours of community service, an assessment, and treatment if ordered | LicenseSuspended 45 days, then an interlock for three years, the first of them driving only to work or school, treatment, the interlock service center or probation |
| ConvictionA third or later within ten years | Fine and jail$2,000 to $8,000, and up to three years, one year of which may not be suspended or reduced | LicensePermanently revoked |
- A charge of driving under the influence may not be reduced, nolled or dismissed unless the prosecutor states the reasons in open court.
- The court may order an alcohol education and treatment program or the pretrial impaired driving intervention program.
- On probation, the court may require a victim impact panel.
Sources for this section (1)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a — Operation while under the influence of liquor or drug or while having an elevated blood alcohol content
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.