The License Suspension After a DUI Arrest
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227b — seven days from the notice to ask for a hearing, and 45 days' suspension if the commissioner rules against you
When the person refuses, or a test begun within two hours of the driving shows an elevated blood alcohol content, the officer takes the license on the spot and the person may not drive for a twenty four hour period. The officer's report goes to the Department of Motor Vehicles within six business days of the arrest.
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- The commissioner may then suspend the license from a date not later than thirty days after the arrest notice or the blood or urine results, whichever is later.
- The person is entitled to a hearing before that date, and schedules it by contacting the department not later than seven days after the suspension notice is mailed.
- A person who does not ask for a hearing has the suspension affirmed.
The hearing decides four things only: whether the officer had probable cause to arrest for driving under the influence, whether the person was placed under arrest, whether the person refused or a test begun within two hours showed an elevated content, and whether the person was operating the vehicle. A finding in the person's favor on any one of them reinstates the license.
| Who | First | Second | Third or later |
|---|---|---|---|
| WhoTested over the limit, 21 or older | FirstSix months of interlock | SecondOne year | Third or laterTwo years |
| WhoTested over the limit, under 21 | FirstOne year | SecondTwo years | Third or laterThree years |
| WhoRefused, at any age | FirstOne year | SecondTwo years | Third or laterThree years |
Each of those follows a suspension of forty five days. The interlock period is the longer of this one and the one the criminal conviction carries.
Sources for this section (1)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227b — Implied consent to test operator's blood, breath or urine and to nontestimonial portion of drug influence evaluation. Testing procedures. License suspension. Hearing
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Connecticut attorney.