Sometimes Connecticut residents travel to other states, like Maine, for business or pleasure and have the unfortunate luck to be charged with a DUI. If this happens to you, you should first find a qualified DUI lawyer in Maine, but you should also be aware of how Connecticut’s DMV will treat you upon your return.

Maine DUI Penalties

If you have been convicted of a DUI in Maine, you would be convicted of violating section 9-A MRSA §2411(1)(A) of the Maine statutes.

In Maine, the penalties for DUI can range depending on the number of prior DUI offenses you have.

First offense: You are considered a first offender if you have no prior DWI/DUIs in any state, or no refusal in Maine for the past ten years. There is a mandatory license suspension for a minimum of 90 days and a fine of $500 if you are arrested for a DUI with no aggravating circumstances. With aggravating circumstances, such as speeding, BAC above .14, driving with a passenger under 21 years of age, or causing an accident, you will be subject to a mandatory two day jail sentence (minimum). Refusal to take a BAC test, a blood test, or urine test will result in a mandatory sentence of four days in jail (minimum) and a $600 fine.

Second offense: If you receive a second offense within ten years of your first, there is a mandatory minimum seven day jail sentence, a fine of $700, and a license and vehicle registration suspension for three years with no work license. After the first nine months of your license suspension, you can have your license and registration reinstated if you have an ignition interlock device installed in your car for two years. For a refusal, the minimum jail sentence is increased twelve days and the fine is increased to $900.

Third offense: Considered a felony and carries a thirty day minimum and five year maximum prison sentence with two years of probation as well as a fine of $5,000. In addition, your license and registration will be suspended for six years. License and registration can be reinstated after three years if you have an ignition interlock device installed in your car for three years. For a refusal, the jail sentence is increased to a minimum of forty days and the fine is increased to $1,400.

Fourth offense: Considered a felony and carries a minimum six month jail term, although the jail term could be as high as five years. Up to two years of probation will also be required, and there is a minimum fine of $2,100. Your license and registration will also be suspended for six years without a work license, and you must have an ignition interlock device installed in your car for four years after the six year suspension. For a refusal, the minimum jail time is increased to six months and twenty days, and the fine is increased to $2,500.

It is also important to note that any driver who causes the death of another person while driving under the influence can face up to 30 years in jail, six years of probation, a fine of $20,000, and a ten year to lifetime suspension of license and registration.

If you are a Connecticut resident who has been charged with or convicted of DUI in Maine, you should be aware that there are repercussions on your Connecticut license in your home state in addition to any license impact in Maine as set forth above.

After hiring a Maine DUI lawyer to help you fight your DUI, you should consider contacting a Connecticut DUI lawyer like our firm that has worked with interstate DMV consequences or asking us to assist you in retaining one for your home state consequences.