You are legally intoxicated if your blood alcohol content (BAC) is .08 or above. If you are under 21 years of age, you are legally intoxicated at a .02 BAC or higher.

Under Connecticut's Implied Consent Law any person who operates a motor vehicle is presumed to have given his or her consent to a test to determine blood alcohol concentration (BAC).

If You are Arrested for DUI:

You will be asked to submit to a BAC test. If you refuse, your license will be suspended for 6 months (1st offense).
If the test registers a BAC of .08 or higher, you will be held on the presumption that you were operating under the influence.
You will be kept in a police lock-up until you are bailed out.
Criminal Law

Under Connecticut's criminal law, the driver arrested for DUI will receive both a summons and a court date. If the court proceedings result in a conviction, the following penalties must be imposed:

First Offense Blood Alcohol Level of .08 or higher

Fine: $500 to $1,000
Jail: 6 mo. 48 hrs. minimum mandatory or 6 mo., suspended with 100 hrs. community service if you plea bargain.
Suspension: One year
Administrative Sanctions (License suspensions for First Offense):

The license suspension periods outlined below have been revised recently and will be imposed in addition to criminal penalties. In most cases, the driver's license sanctions will be imposed much earlier. In all cases, they will be imposed in addition to criminal penalties and will appear on your driving record.

Refusal to submit to a blood, breath or urine test = suspension for 6 months
Test results of .02 or higher if you are under 21= suspension for 90 days
Test results of .08 to .16 = suspension for 90 days
Test results of .16 or higher = suspension for 120 days
However, with plea bargaining the average time for license suspensions under the administrative per se program is approximately 31 days.

Special Operating Permit:

To obtain an Application for Special Permit to Operate a Motor Vehicle To and From Work (form A-62), please call the Driver Services Division at 860-263-5720.

Resolving A DMV Suspension:

Must be done by mail only:

Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles

Driver Services Division

60 State Street

Wethersfield, CT 06161-2525

Commercial Drivers License:

Disqualification or suspension shall result from (1) conviction of:

Operating under the influence.
Refusal to submit to a test to determine blood alcohol concentration or failure of such a test (for CDL purposes, failure is a BAC of 0.04).
Two convictions for the above listed violations will result in lifetime disqualification. If any of the above listed offenses occur while driving a vehicle transporting hazardous materials, the disqualification period shall be a minimum of three (3) years.

Insurance:

Upon conviction or guilty plea, your insurance rates will probably rise to an unmanageable level. Your current company may drop your account and you may pay much more for less coverage at another carrier.