Connecticut Traffic Laws: Points, Tickets, License Suspension and DUI
Connecticut driving rules: point system, speeding points, traffic school, how to pay or fight a ticket, license suspension, DUI limits and penalties.
Quick answers for Connecticut
- Point system
- Yes. Points are assessed for convictions of listed moving violations (1 to 5 points). A warning letter is sent at 6 points. When a conviction raises the total above 10 points, the license is suspended for 30 days; Regs. Conn. State Agencies §§ 14-137a-5 to 14-137a-8
- Points for speeding
- Speeding (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-219) and operating at an unreasonable rate of speed (§ 14-218a) are each 1 point. Regs. Conn. State Agencies § 14-137a-5(a); CT Judicial Branch Traffic FAQ
- Legal BAC limit
- 0.08% for adult drivers; 0.04% for commercial motor vehicle drivers; 0.02% for drivers under 21 ('zero tolerance'). Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-227a(a), 14-227g; CT DMV Driver's Manual
- First-offense DUI penalties
- A first conviction carries a fine of $500 to $1,000 and either up to six months in jail with 48 consecutive hours that cannot be suspended, or a fully suspended jail sentence with probation requiring 100 hours of community service. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g)(1)
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Tickets and points
| Point system | Yes. Points are assessed for convictions of listed moving violations (1 to 5 points). A warning letter is sent at 6 points. When a conviction raises the total above 10 points, the license is suspended for 30 days; a hearing can be requested but is limited to identity and whether more than 10 points accrued within 24 months. If the total again goes above 10 points within five years of that suspension, the license stays suspended until the total drops to 10 or below. |
|---|---|
| Points for speeding | Speeding (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-219) and operating at an unreasonable rate of speed (§ 14-218a) are each 1 point. Under the Judicial Branch FAQ, if a driver simply pays the ticket to the Centralized Infractions Bureau, no points are assessed, except that at least one point is assessed for a hand-held phone violation. |
| How long points last | Points remain on the driving record for 24 months from the date they are assessed (the conviction date). |
| Traffic school | Connecticut does not describe a traffic school that dismisses a ticket. Instead, the DMV requires an operator retraining program for drivers 24 or younger convicted of two moving violations, drivers 25 or older convicted of three, and (since Oct. 1, 2025) anyone convicted of reckless driving. Not completing it within 60 days brings an indefinite suspension and a $175 restoration fee. Drivers convicted of a work-zone violation must take a free online Work Zone Safety Course. |
| Paying or fighting a ticket | Respond by the Answer Date on the ticket. Paying in full (online through the Judicial Branch's Centralized Infractions Bureau) is treated as a plea of nolo contendere (no contest) and is reported to the DMV. To contest, plead Not Guilty; eligible tickets can go through the Online Ticket Review Program, where a prosecutor reviews the case online, and otherwise the case is transferred to court, which may take several months to schedule. If you do not pay or plead by the Answer Date on a motor vehicle ticket, the DMV is notified and will suspend the license, and a $60 reopening fee is charged in addition to the amount due. |
| Paying or looking up a ticket online | Infraction tickets are handled by the Judicial Branch's Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB). Pay by credit card online (jud2.ct.gov/cibepay) or mail a check or money order payable to "Clerk of Superior Court," with the ticket number written on it and the ticket or Failure to Respond Notice enclosed, to Centralized Infractions Bureau, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044. Full payment is due on or before the Answer Date on the ticket; no payment plans. Paying is a plea of nolo contendere. If you miss the deadline the case goes to court, DMV is notified and may suspend your license, and a $60 reopening fee applies. CIB: 860-263-2750. |
License suspension
| License suspension | Suspensions include point suspensions, failing to answer a ticket by its due date or missing a court date or deadline (in Connecticut or another state), failing to complete required operator retraining, DUI and test refusal, and certain violations by 16- and 17-year-olds. Reinstatement requires completing the requirements in the suspension notice and paying a $175 reinstatement fee (plus other fees such as a $100 ignition interlock administration fee when applicable). |
|---|---|
| Hardship or restricted license | The DMV offers a special use (special operator's) permit to some suspended drivers, allowing driving for work, higher-education classes and exams, and ongoing medical treatment. It is not available to drivers with a DUI suspension, three or more prior listed moving violations (or two if suspended for reckless driving or evading responsibility), vehicular manslaughter or assault, or for driving without a required interlock, and cannot be used for commercial or public service vehicles. |
| Checking and reinstating a license | Check your license status with DMV's online License Status checker. Reinstatement fees, payable online by credit card: $175 to reinstate a suspended driver license, nonresident driving privilege or privilege to obtain a license (also $175 for a CDL disqualification or Public Passenger Endorsement suspension), $100 Ignition Interlock administration fee, and a $100 nonrefundable Special Operator Permit application fee. Processing can take up to 10 business days, and a payment receipt does not mean the license is reinstated; check status after paying. Status checker: https://www.dmvselfservice.ct.gov/LicenseStatusService.aspx?language=en_US |
DUI / DWI
| Legal BAC limit | 0.08% for adult drivers; 0.04% for commercial motor vehicle drivers; 0.02% for drivers under 21 ('zero tolerance'). |
|---|---|
| First-offense DUI penalties | A first conviction carries a fine of $500 to $1,000 and either up to six months in jail with 48 consecutive hours that cannot be suspended, or a fully suspended jail sentence with probation requiring 100 hours of community service. The license is suspended for 45 days, and an ignition interlock is required on every vehicle owned or operated for one year after restoration. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g)(1) |
| When a DUI is a felony | Connecticut law defines a felony as any offense that can be punished by more than one year in prison. Under the DUI statute, a second DUI within 10 years can bring up to 2 years in prison (120 days mandatory), and a third or later DUI within 10 years can bring up to 3 years (1 year mandatory) plus permanent license revocation, so repeat DUIs within 10 years carry felony-level prison terms. A first DUI carries up to 6 months. Separately, causing serious physical injury while driving under the influence is assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle (class D felony), and causing a death is manslaughter in the second degree with a motor vehicle (class C felony). The DUI statute itself does not use the word 'felony'; the felony label follows from the one-year rule in § 53a-25. |
| Refusing a breath test | Any person who drives in Connecticut is deemed to consent to a blood, breath or urine test and to part of a drug influence evaluation. On refusal (or a test showing an elevated BAC), the officer takes the license for 24 hours. The DMV then suspends the license for at least 45 days, and an ignition interlock is required as a condition of reinstatement, for at least one year after a refusal (longer with prior offenses). Refusal is admissible as evidence in the criminal case. |
| DUI lookback period | 10 years. Second-offense penalties apply to a conviction within ten years after a prior conviction: a $1,000 to $4,000 fine, up to two years in jail with 120 consecutive days mandatory, probation with 100 hours of community service, a 45-day suspension and a three-year interlock requirement (with driving limited to work, school, treatment and similar trips in the first year). Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g)(2) |
| How long a DUI stays on your record | Connecticut's 'clean slate' law erases criminal records of a DUI conviction (§ 14-227a) automatically 10 years after the person's most recent conviction, for offenses on or after January 1, 2000; for older offenses the person must file a petition. Most other misdemeanors are erased after 7 years, but DUI is specifically placed in the 10-year group. How long a DUI stays on the DMV driving record was not found on an official page. Source: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(1) |
| Sobriety checkpoints | Yes, they are used. The Connecticut DOT Highway Safety Office funds DUI sobriety checkpoints run by state and local police; its federal-year 2025 plan estimated about 100 DUI checkpoints statewide. No Connecticut statute that authorizes or bans sobriety checkpoints was found. |
Phones and distracted driving
| Phone and texting laws | Drivers may not use a hand-held phone for calls or use a mobile electronic device while driving, including while stopped in traffic or at a light; texting, typing or reading messages by hand is prohibited. Only hands-free phone use is allowed, except in emergencies. Drivers under 18 may not use any phone or mobile device, including hands-free. A violation is a 1-point offense, and drivers under 18 face license suspension. |
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Where to get help in Connecticut
Traffic Tickets & DUI FAQ
How does the driver point system work in Connecticut?
Yes. Points are assessed for convictions of listed moving violations (1 to 5 points). A warning letter is sent at 6 points. When a conviction raises the total above 10 points, the license is suspended for 30 days; a hearing can be requested but is limited to identity and whether more than 10 points accrued within 24 months. If the total again goes above 10 points within five years of that suspension, the license stays suspended until the total drops to 10 or below.
How many points is a speeding ticket in Connecticut?
Speeding (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-219) and operating at an unreasonable rate of speed (§ 14-218a) are each 1 point. Under the Judicial Branch FAQ, if a driver simply pays the ticket to the Centralized Infractions Bureau, no points are assessed, except that at least one point is assessed for a hand-held phone violation.
How long do points stay on your license in Connecticut?
Points remain on the driving record for 24 months from the date they are assessed (the conviction date).
Can traffic school remove a ticket or points in Connecticut?
Connecticut does not describe a traffic school that dismisses a ticket. Instead, the DMV requires an operator retraining program for drivers 24 or younger convicted of two moving violations, drivers 25 or older convicted of three, and (since Oct. 1, 2025) anyone convicted of reckless driving. Not completing it within 60 days brings an indefinite suspension and a $175 restoration fee. Drivers convicted of a work-zone violation must take a free online Work Zone Safety Course.
How do I pay or look up a traffic ticket online in Connecticut?
Infraction tickets are handled by the Judicial Branch's Centralized Infractions Bureau (CIB). Pay by credit card online (jud2.ct.gov/cibepay) or mail a check or money order payable to "Clerk of Superior Court," with the ticket number written on it and the ticket or Failure to Respond Notice enclosed, to Centralized Infractions Bureau, P.O. Box 5044, Hartford, CT 06102-5044. Full payment is due on or before the Answer Date on the ticket; no payment plans. Paying is a plea of nolo contendere. If you miss the deadline the case goes to court, DMV is notified and may suspend your license, and a $60 reopening fee applies. CIB: 860-263-2750.
How do I check if my license is suspended and get it reinstated in Connecticut?
Check your license status with DMV's online License Status checker. Reinstatement fees, payable online by credit card: $175 to reinstate a suspended driver license, nonresident driving privilege or privilege to obtain a license (also $175 for a CDL disqualification or Public Passenger Endorsement suspension), $100 Ignition Interlock administration fee, and a $100 nonrefundable Special Operator Permit application fee. Processing can take up to 10 business days, and a payment receipt does not mean the license is reinstated; check status after paying.
How do you pay or contest a traffic ticket in Connecticut?
Respond by the Answer Date on the ticket. Paying in full (online through the Judicial Branch's Centralized Infractions Bureau) is treated as a plea of nolo contendere (no contest) and is reported to the DMV. To contest, plead Not Guilty; eligible tickets can go through the Online Ticket Review Program, where a prosecutor reviews the case online, and otherwise the case is transferred to court, which may take several months to schedule. If you do not pay or plead by the Answer Date on a motor vehicle ticket, the DMV is notified and will suspend the license, and a $60 reopening fee is charged in addition to the amount due.
What gets your license suspended in Connecticut?
Suspensions include point suspensions, failing to answer a ticket by its due date or missing a court date or deadline (in Connecticut or another state), failing to complete required operator retraining, DUI and test refusal, and certain violations by 16- and 17-year-olds. Reinstatement requires completing the requirements in the suspension notice and paying a $175 reinstatement fee (plus other fees such as a $100 ignition interlock administration fee when applicable).
What is the legal blood alcohol limit in Connecticut?
0.08% for adult drivers; 0.04% for commercial motor vehicle drivers; 0.02% for drivers under 21 ('zero tolerance').
What is the penalty for a first DUI in Connecticut?
A first conviction carries a fine of $500 to $1,000 and either up to six months in jail with 48 consecutive hours that cannot be suspended, or a fully suspended jail sentence with probation requiring 100 hours of community service. The license is suspended for 45 days, and an ignition interlock is required on every vehicle owned or operated for one year after restoration.
What happens if you refuse a breathalyzer in Connecticut?
Any person who drives in Connecticut is deemed to consent to a blood, breath or urine test and to part of a drug influence evaluation. On refusal (or a test showing an elevated BAC), the officer takes the license for 24 hours. The DMV then suspends the license for at least 45 days, and an ignition interlock is required as a condition of reinstatement, for at least one year after a refusal (longer with prior offenses). Refusal is admissible as evidence in the criminal case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior offense in Connecticut?
10 years. Second-offense penalties apply to a conviction within ten years after a prior conviction: a $1,000 to $4,000 fine, up to two years in jail with 120 consecutive days mandatory, probation with 100 hours of community service, a 45-day suspension and a three-year interlock requirement (with driving limited to work, school, treatment and similar trips in the first year).
Can you get a hardship license in Connecticut?
The DMV offers a special use (special operator's) permit to some suspended drivers, allowing driving for work, higher-education classes and exams, and ongoing medical treatment. It is not available to drivers with a DUI suspension, three or more prior listed moving violations (or two if suspended for reckless driving or evading responsibility), vehicular manslaughter or assault, or for driving without a required interlock, and cannot be used for commercial or public service vehicles.
Is it illegal to hold your phone while driving in Connecticut?
Drivers may not use a hand-held phone for calls or use a mobile electronic device while driving, including while stopped in traffic or at a light; texting, typing or reading messages by hand is prohibited. Only hands-free phone use is allowed, except in emergencies. Drivers under 18 may not use any phone or mobile device, including hands-free. A violation is a 1-point offense, and drivers under 18 face license suspension.
Is a DUI a felony in Connecticut?
Connecticut law defines a felony as any offense that can be punished by more than one year in prison. Under the DUI statute, a second DUI within 10 years can bring up to 2 years in prison (120 days mandatory), and a third or later DUI within 10 years can bring up to 3 years (1 year mandatory) plus permanent license revocation, so repeat DUIs within 10 years carry felony-level prison terms. A first DUI carries up to 6 months. Separately, causing serious physical injury while driving under the influence is assault in the second degree with a motor vehicle (class D felony), and causing a death is manslaughter in the second degree with a motor vehicle (class C felony).
How long does a DUI stay on your record in Connecticut?
Connecticut's 'clean slate' law erases criminal records of a DUI conviction (§ 14-227a) automatically 10 years after the person's most recent conviction, for offenses on or after January 1, 2000; for older offenses the person must file a petition. Most other misdemeanors are erased after 7 years, but DUI is specifically placed in the 10-year group. How long a DUI stays on the DMV driving record was not found on an official page.
Are DUI checkpoints legal in Connecticut?
Yes, they are used. The Connecticut DOT Highway Safety Office funds DUI sobriety checkpoints run by state and local police; its federal-year 2025 plan estimated about 100 DUI checkpoints statewide.
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