Rhode Island · DUI

Rhode Island DUI laws and penalties

Rhode Island's legal BAC limit is 0.08%. For a first offense, Rhode Island's statute provides jail of up to 1 year, a fine of $100 to $300, and a license suspension of 30 days to 180 days. The license hearing, the ignition interlock rule and the statute behind every figure are below.

Figures read from official pages on Oct 26, 2026.

Legal BAC limit: 0.08%; Standard US limit
Enhanced penalty BAC: 0.10%; Where the penalties step up
Zero tolerance (under 21): 0.02%; Limit for drivers under 21
Lookback period: 10 years; Prior DUI offenses that count

License hearing: no fixed request deadline

The court orders the suspension as part of the sentence. Only a test refusal goes to the traffic tribunal, which gives a hearing within 15 days of a written request; the statute sets no deadline for asking.

Ignition interlock at the judge's discretion

Higher BAC level. First-offense penalties step up at 0.10 and again at 0.15 ($500 fine, 20-60 hours of community restitution, a 3-18 month suspension and a mandatory interlock).

Ignition interlock. The judge may impose one for a first violation under 0.10; mandatory at 0.15 or more and on a second violation.

Standard case is the lowest first-offense tier (0.08% to under 0.10%). At 0.10% to under 0.15% the first-offense fine is $100-$400 and the suspension 3 to 12 months; at 0.15% or more the fine is $500, community restitution 20-60 hours, suspension 3 to 18 months and an interlock is mandatory ((d)(1)(ii)-(iii)). The license suspension is ordered by the court at sentencing; Rhode Island has no separate administrative suspension or hearing for a DUI test result (a refusal goes to the traffic tribunal).

01Penalties

Rhode Island DUI penalties

Statutory ranges for standard DUI convictions (no accident, no minor in vehicle).

Rhode Island statutory DUI penalties, first and second offense
Penalty	1st offense	2nd offense
Jail (minimum)	None	10 days
Jail (maximum)	1 year	1 year
Fine (minimum)	$100	$400
Fine (maximum)	$300	$400
License suspension	30 days to 180 days	1 year to 2 years

Statutory ranges only. Actual outcomes vary by county, judge, and attorney. Does not include court fees, surcharges, or program costs.

02Compare

How Rhode Island compares

Of the 49 states with a confirmed BAC limit, 48 (Rhode Island among them) use 0.08%; Utah has 0.05%.

On this site's reading of the statutes, of the 49 states with a confirmed rule, 21 require an ignition interlock after every first conviction, 18 in some cases and 8 leave it to the judge; 2 do not require one. Rhode Island leaves it to the judge.

Rhode Island and the states that border it, first-offense figures side by side
State	BAC limit	Hearing request	Interlock, first offense	Jail, first offense	Fine, first offense	License, first offense
Connecticut	0.08%	7 days	Required	48 hours to 6 months	$500 to $1,000	45 days
Massachusetts	0.08%	15 days	In some cases	Up to 2.5 years	$500 to $5,000	1 year
Rhode Island (this page)	0.08%	No fixed deadline	At the judge's discretion	Up to 1 year	$100 to $300	30 days to 180 days

Every figure is the statute's own, read from the same kind of page. See DUI laws and penalties for all 50 states.

03The process

How a DUI case moves through the system in Rhode Island

The typical sequence, in general terms. Timing and details differ by county and by case.

Arrest and booking
Police arrest a driver on suspicion of DUI and take the person to the local jail, where booking records the arrest, the charge and the times.
Release
A person is released after posting bail, on their own recognizance, or after a hold. Amounts and timing differ by county.
License action
The court orders the suspension as part of the sentence. Only a test refusal goes to the traffic tribunal, which gives a hearing within 15 days of a written request; the statute sets no deadline for asking.
Arraignment
The first court appearance, where the charge is read and a plea (guilty, not guilty or no contest) is entered.
Pretrial resolution
A case can end in a plea to a reduced charge, in a diversion or deferred program where the state has one, in a trial, or in a dismissal, depending on the state and the facts.
Sentencing or trial
For a first offense, Rhode Island's statute provides jail of up to 1 year, a fine of $100 to $300, and a license suspension of 30 days to 180 days. See the penalties table above.

04Sources

Where Rhode Island's figures come from

Each figure was read on the official page linked here on Oct 26, 2026, and the quoted words were checked against the page the day it was read. The exact words are below so you can check them. Found a mistake? Write to hello@duiarrested.com with the state and the figure.

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2 (webserver.rilegislature.gov)Main statute · BAC limit, age 21 and over · Higher BAC level · Lookback period · Ignition interlock, first offense · First offense: jail, minimum · First offense: jail, maximum · First offense: fine, minimum · First offense: fine, maximum · First offense: license · Second offense: jail, minimum · Second offense: jail, maximum · Second offense: fine, minimum · Second offense: fine, maximum · Second offense: license
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2.7(a) (webserver.rilegislature.gov)BAC limit under 21
R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2.1(d) (webserver.rilegislature.gov)License hearing request

Show the exact words behind each figure

Main statute

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2

31-27-2. Driving under influence of liquor or drugs. (a) Whoever drives or otherwise operates any vehicle in the state while under the influence of any intoxicating liquor,

BAC limit, age 21 and over

0.08%

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(b)(1)

(b)(1) Any person charged under subsection (a), whose blood alcohol concentration is eight one-hundredths of one percent (.08%) or more by weight, as shown by a chemical analysis of a blood, breath, or urine sample, shall be guilty of violating subsection (a).

Higher BAC level

0.10%

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(ii)-(iii)

(ii) Every person convicted of a first violation whose blood alcohol concentration is one-tenth of one percent (.1%) by weight or above, but less than fifteen hundredths of one percent (.15%), or whose blood alcohol concentration is unknown, shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred ($100) dollars, nor more than four hundred dollars ($400),

BAC limit under 21

0.02%

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2.7(a)

blood alcohol concentration to be at least two-hundredths of one percent (.02%) but less than eight one hundredths of one percent (.08%) by weight.

Lookback period

10 years

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(2)(i)

(2)(i) Every person convicted of a second violation within a ten-year (10) period with a blood alcohol concentration of eight one-hundredths of one percent (.08%) or above, but less than fifteen hundredths of one percent (.15%),

License hearing request

No fixed deadline

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2.1(d)

(d) Upon suspending or refusing to issue a license or permit as provided in subsection (a), the traffic tribunal or district court shall immediately notify the person involved in writing, and upon his or her request, within fifteen (15) days, afford the person an opportunity for a hearing as early as practical upon receipt of a request in writing.

Ignition interlock, first offense

At the judge's discretion

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(i)

The sentencing judge or magistrate may prohibit that person from operating a motor vehicle, pursuant to subsection (d)(9) or (d)(10) of this section, that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system and/or blood and urine testing

First offense: jail, minimum

None

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(i)

shall be required to perform ten (10) to sixty (60) hours of public community restitution, and/or shall be imprisoned for up to one year.

First offense: jail, maximum

1 year

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(i)

Same passage as above.

First offense: fine, minimum

$100

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(i)

for a first violation whose blood alcohol concentration is eight one-hundredths of one percent (.08%), but less than one-tenth of one percent (.1%), by weight, or who has a blood presence of any scheduled controlled substance as defined in chapter 28 of title 21, shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100), nor more than three hundred dollars ($300);

First offense: fine, maximum

$300

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(i)

Same passage as above.

First offense: license

30 days to 180 days

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(1)(i)

license shall be suspended for thirty (30) days up to one hundred eighty (180) days.

Second offense: jail, minimum

10 days

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(2)(i)

driving license shall be suspended for a period of one year to two (2) years, and the individual shall be sentenced to not less than ten (10) days, nor more than one year, in jail.

Second offense: jail, maximum

1 year

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(2)(i)

Same passage as above.

Second offense: fine, minimum

$400

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(2)(i)

shall be subject to a mandatory fine of four hundred dollars ($400).

Second offense: fine, maximum

$400

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(2)(i)

Same passage as above.

Second offense: license

1 year to 2 years

R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2(d)(2)(i)

driving license shall be suspended for a period of one year to two (2) years, and the individual shall be sentenced to not less than ten (10) days, nor more than one year, in jail.

05Related

MapUS DUI Arrest Rate MapEvery state as one tile, colored by DUI arrests per 100,000 residents.
CalculatorDUI License-Hearing WindowThe hearing request window listed for each state, counted from a date you enter.

Note: This page summarizes state statutes and published figures. It is general information, not legal advice, and it may be out of date or incomplete. Penalty ranges are statutory ranges; actual outcomes depend on the case. See the Disclaimer.

Rhode Island DUI laws at a glance