Here’s How Minnesota Ranks For Strictest DUI Laws In US

MINNESOTA — The law firm Siegfried & Jensen recently published a comprehensive ranking of the strictest states for DUI laws and penalties. The report was based off information from the Governors Highway Safety Administration, National Council of State Legislatures, and the National Highway Safety Administration.

Siegfried & Jensen then scored each state based on 21 metrics, including DUI arrests, fatalities, the BAC lower threshold, and open container laws.

Our state ranks first overall in toughest DUI laws and penalties.

Here’s how Minnesota did across major metrics:

• Fatalities per 100k population: 1.5
• Injuries per 100k population: 43
• DUI Arrests per 100k drivers: 565
• BAC threshold: 0.08%
• BAC increased penalty: 0.16%
• 1st DUI Jail Time: 90 days
• 2nd DUI Jail Time: 365 days
• 3rd DUI Jail Time: 365 days
• 1st DUI Fine: $1000
• 2nd DUI Fine: $3000
• 3rd DUI Fine: $3000
• 1st DUI License Suspension: 6 months
• 2nd DUI License Suspension: 12 months
• 3rd DUI License Suspension: 12 months
• # of DUIs a felony: 4
• Ignition interlocks: Mandatory for high BAC and repeat convictions
• License plate impoundment: Yes
• Vehicle confiscation: Yes
• Open Container Laws: Yes
• Repeat Offender Laws: Yes
• Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment: Yes

Drunken driving is the No. 1 cause of death on U.S. roadways, with 300,000 incidents a day, 10,876 deaths a year, and 290.000 injuries every year, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, an organization fighting to end impaired driving across the country.

In 2018, Utah became the first state to reduce the legal blood-alcohol limit for drunken driving from .08 percent to .05 percent, according to the report. Utah also finished second overall in strictest DUI laws across the country.

Here are the top ten overall states:

1. Minnesota: 76.7
2. Utah: 69.4
3. Georgia: 69.3
4. Delaware: 64.7
5. Kansas: 64.4
6. New York: 64.3
7. Florida: 63.4
8. New Jersey: 62.4
9. Washington: 62.1
10. Nebraska: 61.6

South Dakota ranked as the weakest state in the U.S. for DUI laws and penalties — with Wyoming, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Maryland rounding out the bottom five.