DUI / DWI Defense Attorneys

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DUI DWI Laws

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have per se DUI Laws defining it as a crime to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above a proscribed level, 0.08 percent.

License suspension or revocation traditionally follows conviction for alcohol-impaired driving. Under a procedure called administrative license suspension, licenses are taken before conviction when a driver fails or refuses to take a chemical test. Because administrative license suspension laws are independent of criminal procedures and are invoked right after arrest, they've been found to be more effective than traditional post-conviction sanctions. Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have administrative license suspension laws.

Forty-five states permit some offenders to drive only if their vehicles have been equipped with ignition interlocks. These devices analyze a driver's breath and disable the ignition if the driver has been drinking.

In 30 states, multiple offenders may forfeit vehicles that are driven while impaired by alcohol.

Forty-three states and Washington D.C. have laws prohibiting the driver, passengers or both from possessing an open container of alcohol in the passenger compartment of a vehicle.

State

BAC Defined as illegal per se

Administrative license suspension 1st offense?1

Restore driving privileges during suspension?1,2

Do penalties include interlock / forfeiture?3

Open container laws

Alabama DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

no

no/no

driver / passenger

Alaska DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver

Arizona DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Arkansas DWI DUI Laws

0.08

120 days

yes

yes/yes

--

California DUI Laws

0.08

4 months

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Colorado DUI DWAI Laws

0.08

3 months

yes

yes/no

--

Connecticut DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

yes

no/no

--

Delaware DUI Laws

0.08

3 months

no

yes/no

--

District of Columbia DUI Laws

0.08

2-90 days

yes

yes/no

driver / passenger

Florida DUI Laws

0.08

6 months

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

State

BAC Defined as illegal per se

Administrative license suspension 1st offense?1

Restore driving privileges during suspension?1,2

Do penalties include interlock / forfeiture?3

Open container laws

Georgia DUI Laws

0.08

1 year

yes

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Hawaii DUI Laws

0.08

3 months

after 30 days

yes/no

driver / passenger

Idaho DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/no

driver / passenger

Illinois DUI Laws

0.08

3 months

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Indiana DUI OWI Laws

0.08

180 days

after 30 days

yes/no

driver4

Iowa DUI DWI Laws

0.08

180 days

after 90 days

yes/no

driver / passenger

Kansas DWI DUI Laws

0.08

30 days

no

yes/no

driver

Kentucky DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Louisiana DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Maine DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

yes

yes/yes

driver / passenger

State

BAC Defined as illegal per se

Administrative license suspension 1st offense?1

Restore driving privileges during suspension?1,2

Do penalties include interlock / forfeiture?3

Open container laws

Maryland DUI Laws

0.08

45 days

yes

yes/no

driver / passenger

Massachusetts OUI DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

no

no/no

driver / passenger

Michigan DUI OUIL Laws

0.085

--

--

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Minnesota DWI Laws

0.08
(eff. 08/01/05)

90 days

after 15 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Mississippi DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

no

yes/yes

--

Missouri DWI Laws

0.08

30 days

no

yes/yes

--

Montana DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Nebraska DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/no

driver / passenger

Nevada DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 45 days

yes/no

driver / passenger

New Hampshire DWI Laws

0.08

6 months

no

yes/no

driver / passenger

State

BAC Defined as illegal per se

Administrative license suspension 1st offense?1

Restore driving privileges during suspension?1,2

Do penalties include interlock / forfeiture?3

Open container laws

New Jersey DWI DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/no

driver / passenger

New Mexico DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/no

driver / passenger

New York DUI Laws

0.08

variable6

yes

yes/yes

driver / passenger

North Carolina DUI Laws

0.08

30 days

after 10 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

North Dakota DUI Laws

0.08

91 days

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Ohio DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 15 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Oklahoma DUI Laws

0.08

180 days

yes

yes/yes

driver

Oregon DUI DUII Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Pennsylvania DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Rhode Island DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/yes

driver

State

BAC Defined as illegal per se

Administrative license suspension 1st offense?1

Restore driving privileges during suspension?1,2

Do penalties include interlock / forfeiture?3

Open container laws

South Carolina DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/yes

driver / passenger

South Dakota DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

no/no

driver / passenger

Tennessee DUI Laws

0.08

--

--

yes/yes

driver7

Texas DWI Laws

0.08

90 days

yes

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Utah DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

no

yes/no

driver / passenger

Vermont DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

no

no/yes

driver / passenger

Virginia DUI Laws

0.08

7 days

no

yes/yes

Washington DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

after 30 days

yes/yes

driver / passenger

West Virginia DUI Laws

0.08

6 months

after 30 days

yes/no

--

Wisconsin OWI DWI DUI Laws

0.08

6 months

yes

yes/yes

driver / passenger

Wyoming DUI Laws

0.08

90 days

yes

no/no

driver

1Information pertains to drivers in violation of the BAC defined as illegal per se for all drivers, not the special BAC for young drivers.

2Drivers usually must demonstrate special hardship to justify restoring privileges during suspension, and then privileges often are restricted.

3A multiple offender's vehicle may be seized and disposed.

4In Indiana, the open container restriction only applies if the driver has a BAC of 0.04.

5The 0.08 per se BAC law in Michigan contains a sunset clause which states that the legal BAC will revert to 0.10 on October 1, 2013.

6In New York, administrative license suspension lasts until prosecution is complete.

7In Tennessee, the open container law does not prohibit any municipality, by ordinance, or any county, by resolution, from prohibiting passengers from possessing an open container.

DUI LAWS & DWI LAWS (credit to www.hwysafety.org) as of July 2004

Florida DUI Blood Breath Alcohol Test Rules

Alaska DUI DWI Laws

Anderson Haydu Appellant Brief Venue Suspension Hearing

Illinois DUI Law 2009 Alcohol Device License Suspension

Connecticut-DUIDWILaws

Delaware-DUIDWILaws

District of Columbia

Arizona DUI Laws - 2006

Massachusetts New 2006 DWI DUI OUI Drunk Driving Laws and Penalties

Alabama DUI Law Penalties

Arizona DUI Laws

Arkansas DWI DUI Drunk Driving Laws

California DUI Laws - Section 23216 - Legislative Intent

California DUI Laws Section 23225

California DUI Laws Section 23229.1 Limo - Under 21

California DUI Laws Section 23213 Rehabilitation - Vehicles on Premises

California DUI Laws - Sec. 23152

California DUI Laws - Offenses Defined

California DUI Statute Under 21 Section 23500 et.al.

California DUI Penalties - Over 21

California DUI Penalty Statutes

Colorado DUI Roadblocks Block Basic Rights

When Drunk Driving Deterrence Becomes Neo-Prohibition

DUI DWI Glossary of Terms

Georgia DUI Laws

Georgia DUI Laws

Illinois New DUI BAIID Law 2008

Effect of DUI Conviction on Illinois Driver

Indiana OWI Law Made Simple pt.3

Indiana DUI OWI Laws - Americas DUI Attorneys Website

Indiana DUI OWI Penalties

Indiana OWI Law Made Simple - Pt. 1

Iowa DUI Laws - Iowa OWI Laws

Kansas DUI Laws

Maryland DUI Laws

Massachusetts DUI Drunk Driving Penalties Chart

Michigan Drunk Driving Defense

Michigan DUI OUIL Drunk Driving Laws

Minnesota DWI Laws and Penalties

Missouri DWI Laws - America's Top DWI Attorneys Website

Nevada DUI Laws - Verbatim

New Hampshire DWI Laws - Americas DWI Attorneys Website

New Jersey DWI Laws and Penalties

2006 New Jersey DWI Laws and Statutes

New Hampshire DWI Laws - America's Top DWI Lawyers

North Carolina DWI Laws Stiffen

Ohio DUI OVI OMVI Penalties

Ohio DUI Laws

Oregon DUI Laws

Pennsylvania DUI Laws and Penalties

2006 DUI Laws for Refusals nationwide

Texas DWI Laws and Penalties - America's Top DWI Lawyers Website

Virginia DUI Law - America's DUI Attorneys

Wisconsin DUI - Illinois Drivers License

Wisconsin OWI Laws

Washington DUI Laws and Penalties Sentencing Grid

Beat Illinois DUI Breath Tests

Field Sobriety Tests in Illinois: valid Psychophysical Tests or Voodoo Science?

Arizona DUI Fines and Penalties

California DUI Laws Section 23158 - Breath Alcohol Tests

California DUI Laws Section 23127 Mandatory Minimum Penalties

California DUI Laws - Section 23153

California DUI Laws Section 23220

California DUI Laws Section 23221 Drinking in Motor Vehicle

California DUI Laws section 23222

California DUI Laws - Section 23223 Possession of Open Container

California DUI Laws Section 23224

California DUI Laws Section 23229 Open Container-Exceptions

California DUI Laws- Section 23226 - Open Container Passenger

California DUI Laws - Section 23125 - Enforcement Off the Highway

Drunk Driving Laws Out of Control

Colorado DUI Laws - America's Top DUI Attorneys TM

Getting a Colorado Driver License After DUI Revocation Suspension

Florida DUI Laws, Florida DWI Laws, Florida DUI Penalties

Indiana Law Made Simple Pt.2

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A FLORIDA DUI

Oklahoma DUI Laws - Oklahoma DUI Penalties

MOTION TO SUPPRESS VIDEO TAPE OF TEXAS DWI

Washington State DUI Laws, DWI Laws, Drunk Driving Laws

Hawaii-DUIDWILaws

Idaho-DUIDWILaws

Iowa Driver's Rights Card

Iowa OWI Laws - Americas Top DUI OWI Attorneys Website

Kentucky-DUIDWILaws

Louisiana-DUI DWI Laws

Maine-DUIDWILaws

Massachusetts-DUIDWILaws

michigan dui cannabis opinion

Minnesota DWI Laws - House

Mississippi-DUIDWILaws

Montana-DUIDWILaws

Nebraska-DUIDWILaws

Nevada DUI & DWI Laws

New Mexico Blood Breath DUI Test Standards 2010

New Mexico-DUIDWILaws

New York-DUIDWILaws

North-Dakota-DUIDWILaws

Oklahoma-DUIDWILaws

Rhode Island-DUIDWILaws

South Carolina-DUIDWILaws

South Dakota-DUIDWILaws

Tennessee-DUIDWILaws

Utah-DUIDWILaws

Vermont-DUIDWILaws

West Virginia-DUIDWILaws

Wyoming-DUIDWILaws

The DUI attorneys and DWI lawyers listed on this site include nationally published authors on DUI laws and DWI laws. These Drunk Driving Defense Attorneys have appeared in over 75 local television stations and 229 newspapers nationwide.

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