Alaska DUI Laws & Drunk Driving Penalties
Overview of the penalties upon conviction of DUI in Alaska
Alaska DUI Laws, BAC limits, fines, jail times, IID requirements, suspension/revocation periods and SR22 insurance requirements for first time and repeat offenders with multiple DUI's.
If you've been charged with DUI in Alaska, the law allows only 7 days for an Alaska DUI Lawyer to make a request with the Alaska DMV (Division of Motor Vehicles) for a hearing to help save your drivers license.
What are the penalties for DUI in Alaska?
The penalties for driving under the influence in Alaska will depend upon the exact circumstances of each particular case and the number of previous offenses (if any) a person has.
NOTE: OUT OF STATE CONVICTIONS
Convictions from other jurisdictions and states may be counted as prior convictions for sentencing purposes under Alaska State law.
NOTE: DUI CMV (DUI while driving a commercial motor vehicle)
The penalties for DUI while driving a commercial motor vehicle are identical to those of regular DUI with the exception of the revocation period which is 1 year for a first offense or for life for second and subsequent offenses.
NOTE: Habitual user of alcohol
The DMV may classify a driver as an 'habitual user of alcohol' and refuse to license any driver that is classified as such, even after the revocation period has ended. If a driver is classified as an habitual user of alcohol, they must provide proof that the substance abuse problem has been under control for at least one year before they will considered fit for a drivers license.
AK DUI Penalties
Alaska is a state with a 10 year 'washout period' also known as a 'look back period'
1st DUI Offense / Conviction - Class A Misdemeanor
The penalty upon conviction of a first DUI offense in Alaska:
- Fines: $1,500 minimum
- Imprisonment: mandatory minimum 72 consecutive hours
- Drivers License Suspension: 90 day drivers license suspension (limited license available after the first 30 days)
- Ignition Interlock: 12 months ignition interlock restriction upon license restoration
- mandatory drug and/or alcohol evaluation
- possible attendance at alcohol / drug treatment program
- may be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for a period of time determined by the court
- AK SR22 Insurance (proof of financial responsibility) Requirement
2nd DUI Offense / Conviction - Class A Misdemeanor
The penalty upon conviction of a second DUI offense in Alaska:
- Fines: $3,000 minimum
- Imprisonment: mandatory minimum 20 days
- Drivers License Revocation: 1 year drivers license revocation (limited license available after the first 90 days)
- Ignition Interlock: 24 months ignition interlock restriction upon license restoration
- mandatory drug and/or alcohol evaluation
- possible attendance at alcohol / drug treatment program
- may be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for a period of time determined by the court
- AK SR22 Insurance (proof of financial responsibility) Requirement
3rd DUI Offense / Conviction - Misdemeanor OR Felony
NOTE: A third DUI or chemical test refusal conviction may be a misdemeanor or felony depending on when prior offenses occurred.
The penalty upon conviction of a third DUI offense in Alaska:
If prior offenses occurred more than 10 years ago - Class A Misdemeanor
- Fines: $4,000 minimum
- Imprisonment: mandatory minimum 60 days
- Drivers License Revocation: 3 year drivers license revocation
- Ignition Interlock: 36 months ignition interlock restriction upon license restoration
- mandatory drug and/or alcohol evaluation
- possible attendance at alcohol / drug treatment program
- may be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for a period of time determined by the court
- AK SR22 Insurance (proof of financial responsibility) Requirement
If prior offenses occurred within preceding 10 years - Class C Felony
- Fines: $10,000 minimum
- Imprisonment: mandatory minimum 120 days
- Drivers License Revocation: permanent drivers license revocation (can apply for license restoration after 10 years if certain conditions are met)
- Ignition Interlock: 36 months ignition interlock restriction upon license restoration
- mandatory drug and/or alcohol evaluation
- possible attendance at alcohol / drug treatment program
- vehicle forfeiture
- may be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for a period of time determined by the court
- AK SR22 Insurance (proof of financial responsibility) Requirement
4th (& subsequent) DUI Offense / Conviction - Misdemeanor OR Felony
NOTE: A fourth DUI or chemical test refusal conviction may be a misdemeanor or felony depending on when prior offenses occurred.
The penalty upon conviction of a fourth DUI offense in Alaska:
If prior offenses occurred more than 10 years ago - Class A Misdemeanor
- Fines: $5,000 minimum
- Imprisonment: mandatory minimum 120 days
- Drivers License Revocation: 5 year drivers license revocation
- Ignition Interlock: 36 months ignition interlock restriction upon license restoration
- mandatory drug and/or alcohol evaluation
- possible attendance at alcohol / drug treatment program
- may be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for a period of time determined by the court
- AK SR22 Insurance (proof of financial responsibility) Requirement
If prior offenses occurred within preceding 10 years - Class C Felony
- Fines: $10,000 minimum
- Imprisonment: mandatory minimum 240 days
- Drivers License Revocation: permanent drivers license revocation (can apply for license restoration after 10 years if certain conditions are met)
- Ignition Interlock: 36 months ignition interlock restriction upon license restoration
- mandatory drug and/or alcohol evaluation
- possible attendance at alcohol / drug treatment program
- vehicle forfeiture
- may be prohibited from purchasing alcohol for a period of time determined by the court
- AK SR22 Insurance (proof of financial responsibility) Requirement
Implied Consent (Chemical Testing) Laws
In Alaska any person driving a motor vehicle is deemed to have given their consent for chemical testing of their breath, blood or urine in order to determine the alcohol content within their blood if lawfully arrested for driving under the influence. It is an offense to refuse to submit or fail to complete a blood alcohol test when required to do so.
Chemical Test Refusal Penalties - Alaska
If a person refuses to submit to a chemical test of their blood, breath or urine in Alaska their drivers license will be revoked.
The penalties for refusing to submit to a chemical test in Alaska are the same as those for DUI which are outlined above.
What is the legal alcohol limit in Alaska
The maximum legal BAC (blood alcohol content) limits in Alaska for driving are as follows:
ADULT DRIVERS - BAC LIMIT = 0.08%
In the State of Alaska it is an offense for adult drivers to drive any regular motor vehicle with 0.08% or more, by weight, of alcohol in his/her blood.
COMMERCIAL DRIVERS - BAC LIMIT = 0.04%
In the State of Alaska it is an offense for drivers who drive commercial vehicles to drive any commercial motor vehicle with 0.04% or more, by weight, of alcohol in his/her blood.
It is an offense to refuse to submit to a chemical test in Alaska and implied consent laws are enforced.
Anchorage, Barrow, Bethel, Fairbanks, Homer, Juneau, Kenai, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Nome, Palmer, Sitka, Soldotna, Wasilla.
Sitka, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Aleutians East, Matanuska-Sustina, Lake and Peninsula, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Ketchikan Gateway, Kodiak Island, Fairbanks North Star, Anchorage, Bristol Bay, Denali, Skagway, Wrangell, Yakutat, Aleutians West Census Area, Bethel Census Area, Dillingham Census Area, Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Prince of Wales-Outer Ketchikan Census Area, Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Wade Hampton Census Area, Wrangell-Petersburg Census Area, Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.
