All 50 states and the District of Columbia have per se 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.  Administrative license suspension laws are in place in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

Some offenders in 46 states and the District of Columbia are permitted 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 32 states, multiple offenders may have to forfeit their vehicles.

Laws prohibiting the driver, passengers, or both from possessing an open container of alcohol in the passenger compartment of a vehicle are in place in 43 states and the District of Columbia.

State	BAC defined as illegal per se	Administrative license suspension 1st offense?	Restore driving privileges during suspension?	Do penalties include interlock	Vehicle forfeiture for multiple offenses	Open container laws
Alabama	0.08	90 days	no	no	no	driver/passenger
Alaska	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver
Arizona	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Arkansas	0.08	120 days	yes1	yes	yes	no
California	0.08	4 months	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Colorado	0.08	3 months	yes1	yes	no	driver/passenger
Connecticut	0.08	90 days	yes1	yes	no	no
Delaware	0.08	3 months	no	yes	no	no
District of Columbia	0.08	2-90 days	yes1	yes	no	driver/passenger
Florida	0.08	6 months	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Georgia	0.08	1 year	yes1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Hawaii	0.08	3 months	after 30 days1	no	no	driver/passenger
Idaho	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	no	driver/passenger
Illinois	0.08	3 months	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Indiana	0.08	180 days	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Iowa	0.08	180 days	after 90 days1	yes	no	driver/passenger
Kansas	0.08	30 days	no	yes	no	driver
Kentucky	0.08	no	not applicable	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Louisiana	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Maine	0.08	90 days	yes1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Maryland	0.08	45 days	yes1	yes	no	driver/passenger
Massachusetts	0.08	90 days	no	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Michigan	0.082	no	not applicable	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Minnesota	0.08	90 days	after 15 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Mississippi	0.08	90 days	no	yes	yes	no
Missouri	0.08	30 days	no	yes	yes	no
Montana	0.08	no	not applicable	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Nebraska	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	no	driver/passenger
Nevada	0.08	90 days	after 45 days1	yes	no	driver/passenger
New Hampshire	0.08	6 months	no	yes	no	driver/passenger
New Jersey	0.08	no	not applicable	yes	no	driver/passenger
New Mexico	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	no	driver/passenger
New York	0.08	variable3	yes1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
North Carolina	0.08	30 days	after 10 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
North Dakota	0.08	91 days	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Ohio	0.08	90 days	after 15 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Oklahoma	0.08	180 days	yes1	yes	yes	driver
Oregon	0.08	90 days	after 30 days1	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Pennsylvania	0.08	no	not applicable	yes	yes	driver/passenger
Rhode Island	0.08	no	not applicable	yes	yes	driver
South Carolina	0.08
This article was published on Thursday 20 March, 2008.
Current Reviews: 0
Tell a friend Tell a friend about this article: