Connecticut DUI Laws & Penalties

Connecticut Drunk Driving Laws Explained in Easy to Understand Simple Terms

If you are pulled over on suspicion of a Connecticut DUI, the officer will ask for a blood alcohol concentration test or BAC. You must submit to the test, or you will have your license automatically suspended for six months. If the test registers at .08 or higher, you will be arrested and kept in the jail until your bail is posted. You will be given a court date and a summons, and you must attend your court date.

What To Do When Arrested For DUI in Connecticut?

As soon as you are arrested for a Connecticut DUI, make sure to contact a lawyer. You only have seven days in which you can request a Department of Motor Vehicles hearing to look at your case and possibly protect your right to drive. If you wait to contact a lawyer, you cannot receive a hearing.

If you are found to be guilty of a Connecticut DUI and it is your first offence, you will face a fine somewhere between $500 and $1000. You are also facing six months in jail, which could be suspended or reduced if you plea bargain and accept 100 hours of community service. Because of this long potential jail time, you will want to have a lawyer to help you with your Connecticut DUI proceedings. You will also face a one year suspension of your driving privileges.

Connecticut Administrative Sanctions

After you face your court date, you are also subject to administrative sanctions. These sanctions are in addition to any punishments handed out by the criminal court. If you refuse to take the blood alcohol test or BAC, you will face a six-month suspension of your license. If your alcohol levels are .08 or higher, you will face a 90 day suspension. If the levels are .16 or higher, the suspension increases to 120 days. Plea bargaining can often reduce these sentences as well. If you have a job, you will need to file form A-62, which is called the Application for Special Permit to Operate a Motor Vehicle to and From Work. There is a fee to apply for this permit.

Connecticut First Offense DUI Penalties

  • Jail time of 2 days to 6 months or 100 hours of community service
  • $500 to $1,000 in fines
  • License suspension for 1 year

Connecticut Second Offense DUI Penalties

Connecticut Third Offense DUI Penalties

  • Jail time of 120 to 3 years
  • $1,000 to $4,000 in fines
  • License suspension of 3 years

Connecticut Fourth Offense DUI Penalties

  • Jail time of 1 to 3 years
  • $2,000 to $8,000 in fines
  • Permanent license revocation

Connecticut BAC Presumptions

  • BAC level of .08% or greater within 2 hours of driving is a rebuttable presumption that the defendant was driving under the influence

Connecticut Implied Consent Law

  • Chemical testing is allowed. Blood, breath or urine to be selected by the officer. A blood test does require the consent of the defendant
  • Officer is required to advise defendant of their constitutional rights, penalties for refusal to take test. The fact that a refusal is admissible in court. And that the defendant will be given reasonable time to contact a Connecticut DUI attorney
  • Test results of .08% or greater BAC result in a 90 day to 2 year license suspension
  • Test refusal results in immediate license seizure and a 6 month to 2 year license suspension. Test refusal is admissible as evidence in a criminal case if the police gave proper advisement of defendant rights

Connecticut DUI Chemical Testing

  • Chemical test results are admissible in court if the defendant consented to the test after being allowed to contact an attorney. Both the attorney and the defendant were notified of the test results. And the test was performed within 2 hours of driving by a qualified person
  • Blood test: Blood draws for police testing must be administered by a licensed physician, registered nurse or other qualified person
  • Test results must be mailed or delivered to the defendant or defendant’s Connecticut DUI attorney within one business day after the results are known

Connecticut DUI Plea Bargaining

If the prosecuting attorney provides the court with specific reasons, whether it is a DUI case or a per se offense, the charges may be reduced or dismissed

Connecticut SR22 Insurance after a DUI

A Connecticut DUI arrest is a sure sign that your insurance premium will increase because you will be required to carry what’s known as a Connecticut SR-22 insurance policy. An SR-22 insurance policy is a type of high risk auto policy typically reserved for DUI offenders and/or those with license suspensions.

Additional Connecticut DUI Resources