Driving under the influence, or DUI, is one of the leading causes of arrest in the United States. In 2014 (the most recent year for Bureau of Justice statistics), there were 1,117,852 DUI arrests. That accounts for just under 10 percent of all arrests. In this post, we share a variety of DUI statistics as well as how Arizona compares to the rest of the country.

Where Does Our DUI Data Come From?

All of our information comes from trusted authorities, typically government agencies. These include the:

In some instances, we also collected information from relevant organizations, such as the Insurance Information Institute. (If you want a master class on using data, you can’t beat the insurance industry. They base every policy and decision on data and statistics.)

Please note that every statistic we provide is the most recent data available from that agency. Most government statistics are at least two years behind the current year.

DUI Penalties by State: How Does Arizona Compare?

Arizona has a reputation for having some of the toughest DUI laws in the country. This may be due, at least in part, to the fact that Arizona has one of the highest minimum fines in the country (second only to Alaska). In reality, though, Arizona is neither the toughest nor the most lenient.

The most common penalties for DUI are:

  • Fines and fees
  • Jail time
  • License suspension
  • Ignition interlock device (IID)

The following statistics assume a first conviction for DUI with a BAC (blood alcohol concentration) between 0.08 and 0.15, without a minor under age 15 in the vehicle.

  • Coming in at $1,500, Alaska has the highest fines and fees; Arizona is right behind at $1,480
  • The highest minimum sentence is 10 days, imposed by Georgia, Louisiana, and Oklahoma; Arizona’s minimum sentence is 24 hours
  • 12 months is longest license revocation, with 7 state sharing that honor; Arizona comes in at 90 days, a penalty imposed by 15 other states
  • Including Arizona, only 21 states have an IID requirement once driving privileges have been reinstated

Please note that these are all minimum penalties. Conviction may result in harsher penalties in every state. The following table lists DUI penalties by state.

DUI Penalties by State

StateMinimum JailFines & FeesMinimum License SuspensionIgnition Interlock Device Required
AlabamaNo min60090 DaysYes
AlaskaMin. 72 hours150090 daysYes
ArizonaMin. 24 hours148090 daysYes
Arkansas24 hours1506 monthsYes
CaliforniaNo min3906 monthsYes
Colorado5 days to 1 year6009 monthsYes
Connecticut48 hours50045 daysYes
D.C.No min3006 monthsNo
DelawareNo min50012 monthsNo
FloridaNo min500180 daysYes
Georgia10 days300120 daysNo
HawaiiNo min15090 daysNo
IdahoNo minNo min90 daysYes
IllinoisNo minNo min1 yearYes
IndianaNo minNo minNo minNo
Iowa48 hours625180 daysNo
Kansas48 hoursNo min30 daysYes
Kentucky48 hours20030 daysYes
Louisiana10 days30090 daysNo
MaineNo min500150 daysNo
MarylandNo minNo minNo minNo
MassachusettsNo min5001 yearNo
MichiganNo min10090 daysNo
MinnesotaNo min100090 daysNo
MississippiNo min25090 daysNo
MissouriNo minNo min0 daysNo
Montana24 hours3006 monthsNo
NebraskaNo min40060 daysNo
Nevada48 hours40090 daysNo
New HampshireNo min5009 monthsNo
New JerseyNo min2503 monthsYes
New MexicoNo minNo min6 monthsYes
New YorkNo min5006 monthsYes
North CarolinaNo minNo min12 monthsNo
North DakotaNo min50091 daysNo
Ohio3 days3753 monthsNo
Oklahoma10 daysNo min180 daysYes
Oregon48 hours10001 yearYes
PennsylvaniaNo min300NoNo
Rhode IslandNo min10030 daysNo
South Carolina48 hours4006 monthsNo
South DakotaNo minNo min30 daysNo
Tennessee48 hours3501 yearYes
Texas72 hoursNo min90 daysNo
Utah48 hours min.$700 min.120 daysNo
VermontNo min91090 daysYes
VirginiaNo min2501 yearYes
Washington24 hours35090 daysYes
West VirginiaNo min1006 monthsNo
WisconsinNo min1506 monthsNo
WyomingNo minNo min90 daysNo
https://www.dui-usa.drinkdriving.org/dui_dwi_state_laws.php
DUI penalties in all 50 states for a first conviction, BAC between 0.08 and 0.15, without a minor under age 15 in the vehicle.

DUI Fatalities

According to the NHTSA (linked above), there were over 37,000 fatalities due to traffic accidents in 2017. Of those, over one-third – 12,514 – died in accidents where one or more drivers had a BAC over 0.01. The vast majority of these drivers had a BAC over 0.08.

At 51.85 percent, Washington, DC posted the highest percentage of accident fatalities where one or more drivers had any alcohol in their system. Just over 30 percent of Arizona’s traffic fatalities involved some level of alcohol. However, when you look at the legal limit, which is a BAC of 0.08, Montana leads the union, with 44.74 percent of their traffic fatalities involving alcohol. Arizona comes in at number 44, with a little over 24 percent of traffic fatalities involving a BAC over 0.08.

The table below shows the statistics for each state.

DUI Traffic Fatalities by State

StateTotal FatalatiesNo AlcoholBAC 0.01+BAC 0.08+BAC 0.15+
Alabama1038717321279177
Alaska8446373026
Arizona962659289232151
Arkansas54539415011781
California3623236812471059676
Colorado608409195161117
Connecticut29316912310069
Delaware11975433731
District of Columbia271314106
Florida31742175987841566
Georgia15541117433368240
Hawaii12080403423
Idaho253162897756
Illinois1082707375315220
Indiana821580241211138
Iowa40427512610672
Kansas4293181079460
Kentucky834618216175124
Louisiana757488268225155
Maine16194675438
Maryland50534915613084
massachusetts38923315611981
Michigan1064766294236156
Minnesota3922751179367
Mississippi69052716412880
Missouri945624301244169
Montana19095958568
Nebraska218134826241
Nevada32821311410155
New Hampshire13686494028
New Jersey60142317713787
New Mexico40225214811885
New York1025697328283190
North Carolina1450972474354242
North Dakota11357555041
Ohio1132739391324227
Oklahoma683482200180114
Oregon495323172154100
Pennsylvania1188815369327220
Rhode Island5129221914
South Carolina1015617396331240
South Dakota11662544629
Tennessee1041760280223153
Texas3776210016701438949
Utah281223595235
Vermont6231312718
Virginia760508251220152
Washington537351186161110
West Virginia269189806844
Wisconsin607365241193132
Wyoming11277353221
US Total374612485112514104977052
DUI Traffic Fatalities by State, including BAC over 0.01, BAC over 0.08, and BAC over 0.15

According to the CDC, around 1.9 percent of drivers nationwide report driving after having too much to drink. As far as self-reported numbers, Arizona drivers come in under the national average, at 1.7 percent. Unfortunately, the rate of DUI-related deaths per 100,000 population does not back up those self-reported numbers. Arizona beats the national averages in all categories.

Arizona DUI statistics traffic fatalities

Were You Arrested for DUI?

A DUI arrest can feel overwhelming. It’s possible to beat the charge, but the clock is ticking. Our DUI page explains your rights and what you can expect throughout the process – and how you can start protecting yourself. If you were arrested for driving under the influence, call 480.305.2121 to schedule your free consultation with Liberty Law today.