Connecticut DUI Laws
The maximum prescribed legal BAC limit in Connecticut is 0.08% per se
(effective from Jul 1st 2002)
Connecticut Drunk Driving Laws (If you’ve been charged with Connecticut DUI, the law allows only 7 days for your Connecticut DUI Lawyer to make a request with the Connecticut DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) for a hearing to save your driving license)
Connecticut is a member of the Interstate Drivers License Compact
An agreement between participating states to share information regarding certain types of convictions including DUI - DWI and related Drunk Driving offenses. If a resident of one state gets convicted of a drunk driving offense in another state, the driver's home state will be notified. The type of action that the driver's home state will take will vary from state to state. |
Connecticut DUI Laws and BAC limits
ALL DRIVERS - BAC LIMIT = 0.08%
In the State of Connecticut it is crime for ANY driver to drive with a BAC (blood alcohol content - concentration) of 0.08% and above.
COMMERCIAL DRIVERS - BAC LIMIT = 0.04%
It is a crime for commercial vehicle operators to drive with a BAC (blood alcohol content - concentration) of 0.04% or above.
MINOR (under the age of 21) - BAC LIMIT = 0.02%
It is a crime for persons under 21 years of age to drive with a BAC (blood alcohol content - concentration) of 0.02% or above.
It is a crime to refuse to submit to a chemical test in Connecticut and implied consent laws are enforced.
!! CAUTION - Driving Ability Impaired !!
You can be prosecuted in Connecticut without driving while you are over the legal prescribed bac limit.
Under Connecticut law, it is unlawful to drive with a BAC limit above the per se laws OR to drive while impaired under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
Under this law the prosecution must show that the driver was IMPAIRED by alcohol and/or drugs. The level of impairment is usually based on observations and evidence of driving ability (or rather inability), physical appearance, field sobriety tests and any other relevant evidence which can help prove a persons driving ability was indeed impaired. Different amounts of alcohol can affect people in different ways, what may impair one persons driving ability and make them feel drunk, might not necessarily impair another persons driving ability.
Observations from a law enforcement officer that may lead to being stopped and arrested include:
- Making a turn too widely or narrowly
- Using two lanes, stradling the center line
- Almost hitting someone or something
- Weaving or drifting from one side of the road to another
- Driving too slowly and being overly cautious
- Driving too close to vehicle in front
- Driving ON the center lines
- Erratic braking
- Swerving to correct course of vehicle
You can be charged with an offence regardless of your BAC level, as long as impairment can be proved to the legal extent necessary.
A skilled drunk driving attorney can help you defend any charges against you |
Connecticut BAC Calculator
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Penalties for DUI - Drunk Driving in Connecticut
Connecticut is a state with a ten-year ‘washout period,’ also known as a 'look back period', this means that a prior conviction is not admissible after ten years. If it is ten years and one day since a driver was convicted of DUI, that driver will be considered a first-time offender. If a driver commits a DUI within ten years of the first DUI, they are considered guilty of a second offense and are subjected to harsher punishments.
First Dui - Drunk Driving Conviction - MISDEMEANOR
The penalty for a first DUI - drunk driving conviction in Connecticut:
Criminal penalties:
- $500 to $1,000 fine
- up to 6 months in jail (48 hours minimum mandatory) [jail time may be suspended in lieu of 100 hours community service]
- 48 to 96 hours mandatory public service
- vehicle impounded for 48 hours
- 1 year drivers license suspension
- SR22 insurance requirement
In addition to the criminal sanctions above, the DMV will suspend/revoke a drivers license for the following time periods:
- Drivers 21 years and older: 90 days drivers license suspension
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 120 days drivers license suspension]
- Drivers aged 18 - 20: 6 months drivers license suspension
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 240 days drivers license suspension]
- Drivers aged 16 - 17: 18 months drivers license suspension
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 1 year drivers license suspension]
Second DUI - Drunk Driving Conviction - MISDEMEANOR
The penalty for a second DUI - drunk driving conviction in Connecticut:
Criminal penalties:
- $1,000 to $4,000 fine
- up to 2 years in jail (120 days minimum mandatory)
- 100 hours mandatory community service
- vehicle impounded for 48 hours
- 1 year drivers license suspension (followed by 24 months with an ignition interlock restriction) [if driver under 21 the suspension will be 3 years or until driver reaches 21, whichever is longer]
- SR22 insurance requirement
In addition to the criminal sanctions above, the DMV will suspend/revoke a drivers license for the following time periods:
- Drivers 21 years and older: 9 months drivers license suspension
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 10 months drivers license suspension]
- Drivers aged 18 - 20: 18 months drivers license suspension
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 20 months drivers license suspension]
- Drivers aged 16 - 17: 2 years drivers license suspension
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 30 months drivers license suspension]
Third DUI - Drunk Driving Conviction - MISDEMEANOR
The penalty for a third DUI - drunk driving conviction in Connecticut:
- $2,000 to $8,000 fine
- up to 3 years in jail (1 year minimum mandatory)
- permanent drivers license revocation (may request hearing after 6 years)
- 100 hours mandatory community service
- vehicle impounded for 48 hours
- SR22 insurance requirement
In addition to the criminal sanctions above, the DMV will suspend/revoke a drivers license for the following time periods:
- Drivers 21 years and older: 2 years drivers license revocation
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 30 months drivers license suspension]
- Drivers aged 18 - 20: 4 years drivers license revocation
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 5 years drivers license revocation]
- Drivers aged 16 - 17: 4 years drivers license revocation
[0.16 BAC or higher will result in a 5 years drivers license revocation]
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Implied consent LAWS
It is a crime to refuse to submit to a chemical test in Connecticut and implied consent laws are enforced.
Penalties for refusing to submit to a chemical test in Connecticut
In Connecticut, if the accused refuses to take a chemical test of their blood, breath or urine, their drivers license will be suspended/revoked.
First chemical test refusal in Connecticut
- Drivers aged 21 years and older: 6 months drivers license suspension
- Drivers aged 18-20: 1 year drivers license suspension
- Drivers aged 16-17: 18 months drivers license suspension
- SR22 insurance requirement
Second chemical test refusal in Connecticut
- Drivers aged 21 years and older: 1 year drivers license revocation
- Drivers aged 18-20: 2 years drivers license revocation
- Drivers aged 16-17: 3 years drivers license revocation
- SR22 insurance requirement
Third chemical test refusal in Connecticut
- Drivers aged 21 years and older: 3 years drivers license revocation
- Drivers aged 18-20: 6 years drivers license revocation
- Drivers aged 16-17: 6 years drivers license revocation
- SR22 insurance requirement
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Connecticut Auto insurance (DUI, SR22)
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Connecticut auto insurance quotes
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Connecticut SR-22 auto insurance is usually required for a period of 3 years after a DUI - drunk driving - alcohol related driving conviction and can be very expensive if you go with the wrong provider. Some insurance companies will not even do an SR22 insurance filing. Get a FREE DUI auto insurance quote and compare rates to find the best deal, simply enter your ZIP code above and you can be comparing prices for Connecticut auto insurance in a matter of minutes.
Minimum liability insurance requirements for private passenger vehicles in the state of Connecticut
The minimum mandatory liability insurance coverage required in the state of Connecticut for private passenger vehicles is (20/40/10). This equates to the following liability coverage:
- $20,000 bodily injury liability (BIL) per person
- $40,000 for two or more people in one accident
- $10,000 property damage liability (PDL) coverage
What is (BIL) Bodily Injury Liability insurance?
(BIL) Bodily Injury Liability insurance coverage will pay for serious and permanent injury or death to other people when a crash is caused by the insured. An auto insurance company will pay for injuries up to the limits specified in an insurance policy and will provide legal representation for the insured in the event someone tries to sue them.
What is (PDL) Property Damage Liability insurance?
(PDL) Property Damage Liability insurance coverage pays for damages an insured driver or members of an insured drivers family cause (and are liable for) to other people's property in a crash involving a motor vehicle. Top of page
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FREE Case evaluation & consultation by local Connecticut DWI / DUI Lawyer / Drunk Driving Attorney
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Protect your rights! Talk to a local DUI lawyer
Connecticut DUI cases tend to move quickly through the system, and there may be important deadlines that affect your right to assert certain defenses or call witnesses. It’s important that you understand the process your Connecticut drunk driving case will follow and the important requirements and deadlines before you take any action—but you can’t afford to delay.
Talk to a local Connecticut Drunk Driving Attorney as soon as possible to gather important information such as:
• What penalties do you face if convicted of DUI in Connecticut?
• What are the indirect penalties, such as increased insurance rates and diminished job opportunities in Connecticut?
• Does Connecticut have a mandatory ignition interlock device law?
• Was your breathalyzer or blood alcohol content (BAC) test properly administered in accordance with Connecticut laws and procedures ?
• When and how can you get your driver’s license reinstated in Connecticut?
It’s easy to make mistakes under pressure, so make sure that you have the information you need to make good, educated decisions during this process. Contact a local Connecticut criminal defense attorney specialising in Connecticut drunk driving laws today. |
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Useful Connecticut DUI Links:
DUI - Drunk Driving Laws in Connecticut
Connecticut Drivers Manual
Connecticut SR22 Insurance Requirement
Connecticut DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles)
Connecticut Department of Transportation
Connecticut Courts (Connecticut Judicial Branch)
Connecticut Department of Insurance
Connecticut DUI Lawyers
Connecticut DUI discussion forum
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