Connecticut DUI Laws

Connecticut Drunk Driving Fines & Penalties

1st Connecticut DUI Conviction First Drunk Driving Offense Jail – 48 Hour Minimum up to 6 Months Community Service – 100 Hours if Ja

First-Offense OUI/DUI in Connecticut

It’s illegal to operate a motor vehicle in Connecticut while “under the influence” of drugs or alcohol or with an “elevated” blood alcohol content (BAC). Operating “under the influence” means that the operator’s ability to drive is “affected to an appreciable degree.” An “elevated” BAC is .08% or higher for drivers 21 and over and .02% for operators under age 21.  

Second-Offense OUI/DUI in Connecticut

Connecticut, like all other states, prohibits operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. In Connecticut, an OUI (operating under the influence), sometimes called “DUI,” results in criminal and administrative penalties. Both types of penalties increase in severity if a driver has prior OUI convictions.

Third Offense OUI/DUI in Connecticut

If you get a third DUI in Connecticut, you will face harsher penalties than if you were getting a first DUI conviction.

Underage OUI/DUI in Connecticut

The drinking age in Connecticut is 21 and consumption of alcohol by anyone under 21 is illegal with the following exceptions:

DUI Checkpoints in Connecticut

Sobriety checkpoints are legal in Connecticut (see 671 A.2d 834 (Conn.App.CT. 1996)). These checkpoints (also referred to as "mobile checkpoints" or "roadblocks") are police traffic stops that are not tied to any specific or individual suspicions.

Connecticut’s OUI/DUI Implied Consent Laws: Refusal to Take a Blood, Breath, or Urine test

In Connecticut, if you get pulled over for a DUI and the officer asks you to take a blood, breath, or urine test, do you have to take one? What happens if you refuse?