How long is your license suspended for a DUI in Arizona?
Last reviewed 2026-08-31
Quick answer
Under A.R.S. § 28-1385, a DUI arrest in Arizona triggers an automatic administrative license suspension of at least ninety consecutive days once a blood or breath test shows an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more (0.04 for commercial or for-hire drivers) or shows a prohibited drug in your system — this suspension is separate from, and begins well before, any criminal DUI conviction. If it's your first offense within the past eighty-four months and the DUI didn't cause death or serious injury, you can request a reduced thirty-day suspension followed by sixty days of restricted driving instead of the full ninety, by completing the required alcohol or drug screening; either way, you must request a hearing or summary review in writing within thirty days of the suspension notice to contest it.
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Short answer: it depends on whether you took the test or refused it — and for a first offense, the suspension is administrative, not part of the criminal sentence.
If you take the blood or breath test and the results show a 0.08 or more alcohol concentration (0.04 for commercial or for-hire drivers, or a drug metabolite without a valid prescription), the department will suspend your license for not less than ninety consecutive days [1].
If you refuse the test, your license will be suspended for twelve months, or for two years for a second or subsequent refusal within a period of eighty-four months [2].
These are administrative suspensions imposed by the department, separate from any criminal case [1][2]. A first-offense DUI conviction under the criminal DUI statute carries no license suspension of its own — its listed penalties are jail time, fines, assessments, an ignition interlock requirement, and traffic survival school, with no suspension or revocation of driving privileges [3]. The license consequence a first-time offender experiences is the administrative suspension described above, not part of the criminal sentence [1][3].
A license consequence does attach to the criminal sentence for repeat offenses: a second DUI conviction within eighty-four months results in revocation of driving privileges for one year [3]. A conviction for aggravated DUI also results in revocation, with the department barred from issuing a new license within one year of the conviction [4].
Note that for a qualifying first-time administrative suspension with no prior DUI conviction within eighty-four months and no death or serious injury, the department may instead suspend for at least thirty consecutive days followed by at least sixty additional days of restricted driving, or issue a special ignition interlock restricted driver license [1].
Yes, but refusing after a DUI arrest triggers its own license suspension under Arizona's implied-consent law, separate from this administrative suspension. Read more →
AI-drafted answer, not attorney-reviewed. Citations verified against azleg.gov. Legal information, not legal advice — consult a licensed attorney for your situation.