DUI Fines Vary Widely by State, with Arizona as Most Strict

With drunk driving resulting in roughly 1 million arrests, 10,000 deaths and $44 billion in economic damage each year, penalties vary widely by state.

In the interest of underscoring the financial downsides of driving drunk, WalletHub compared the penalties in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 15 key metrics, ranging from fines and minimum jail time to “ignition interlock device” requirements.

The results are perhaps a bit surprising.

Strictest States on DUI			Most Lenient States on DUI
1	Arizona		42	Vermont
2	Georgia		43	Michigan
3	Alaska		43	Pennsylvania
4	Oklahoma		45	New Jersey
4	Kansas		46	Maryland
6	Nebraska		47	Idaho
7	Connecticut		47	North Dakota
8	Utah		49	Ohio
9	Delaware		50	District of Columbia
10	West Virginia		51	South Dakota

Key Findings:

• “Red” states have tougher DUI laws than “blue” states, ranking 23.29 and 28.00, respectively.
• The average fine for a first DUI ($352) is higher than the Uber fare from Washington, DC to Philadelphia, and you could get all the way to New York with the second-DUI average ($762).
• Repeat offenders spend nearly three weeks longer in jail than first-time offenders, on average.
• 44 states (and DC) can automatically suspend your license, before any court involvement, if you’re arrested for DUI.
• In 44 states offenders are required to equip their vehicles with ignition interlock devices after a DUI.

 

Tags: Alaska, Arizona, Blue states, Drunk Driving, DUI, fines, Georgia, jail time, Kansas, Laws, Oklahoma, Red states, uber, WalletHub

Category: General Update, News