DUI in Arizona: the law, the limits and the device
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Arizona calls it DUI — driving under the influence, and you will see Extreme DUI and Super Extreme DUI and drunk driving used for the same offense. Arizona splits the charge by reading, and the interlock term goes up with it. Extreme DUI covers 0.15 to under 0.20 and carries 12 months on the device; Super Extreme DUI starts at 0.20 and carries 18 months on a first conviction, 24 on a second within seven years. Both bring mandatory jail that cannot be suspended — 30 days and 45 days respectively (A.R.S. 28-1382). What follows is what this state sets, taken from its own published rules rather than from a national summary.
What Arizona law actually requires
Arizona requires a certified device with a camera and GPS that reports every test to the MVD in real time. The clock starts when your license becomes eligible for reinstatement or when the MVD receives the conviction — whichever is later — so installing early does not shorten anything.
- First offense: At least 12 months on a standard first conviction; longer at higher readings — 12 months for Extreme DUI at 0.15%, 18 months for Super Extreme at 0.20% (A.R.S. 28-1382)
- Lockout threshold: 0.020% — the engine will not start at or above that reading
- Program run by: Arizona MVD (Department of Transportation)
Source: azdot.gov, checked 2026-08-23
DUI vs DUI in Arizona
In Arizona there is one offense and one label. If you have seen DWI, OWI or OVI used elsewhere, that is another state’s vocabulary for the same conduct — nothing about the seriousness changes when you cross a state line, only the letters on the paperwork.
Whatever it is called, the licensing consequence is the same shape: a suspension, then the device as the condition of driving again. All six abbreviations, side by side →
Can you get a DUI on a bike or a horse in Arizona?
It turns on one word in the statute. Where the law says “vehicle”, no engine is required and the charge can reach a bicycle, a horse or a mobility scooter. Where it says “motor vehicle”, the analysis is different. This is decided by your state’s own wording, not by national custom, and it is the first thing to check before assuming a bike ride home is safe.
Where this state departs from the national picture
Most of what people read about drunk driving is written for the country as a whole. These are the points where Arizona does something of its own.
SR-22 for 3 years
Arizona requires the certificate for DUI convictions, drug-test refusals and insurance violations, filed electronically by an Arizona-licensed insurer, and it runs three years. The MVD publishes the start dates by action type rather than a single rule, which is why two people convicted on the same day can have different end dates. Reinstatement also needs the permission-to-reapply notice, any required alcohol or drug screening, and proof the interlock is installed where one is ordered.
How often this happens in Arizona
Federal crash records show the scale the state is legislating against, and how it compares with the country.
Cases are heard where the stop happened, and volume shapes local practice. These AZ counties record the most:
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2020–2022. Counts crashes where police recorded that a driver had been drinking, which is narrower than the federal 0.08 measure and therefore understates the real figure. Arizona runs at or below the national share.
What it costs to get driving again in Arizona
Arizona is one of the few states that publishes what a provider may charge, so a quote here is checkable against the regulation rather than against another quote.
The two clocks in Arizona
The court case and the licensing case run separately. The licensing side moves first, and in the strictest states the window to request a hearing is measured in days — it runs whether or not you have hired anyone.
DUI questions in Arizona
Is it called DUI or DUI in Arizona?
Arizona uses DUI — driving under the influence. You will also see Extreme DUI, Super Extreme DUI, drunk driving used for the same thing. The label follows the state, not the seriousness of what happened, so paperwork from elsewhere may say something different about identical conduct.
What is the legal limit in Arizona?
0.08% for drivers 21 and over, as in every state except Utah, which sits at 0.05%. Below the limit you can still be charged if an officer documents impairment. The reading that triggers the interlock here is a separate number: 0.020% — the engine will not start at or above that reading
How long does the interlock stay on after a first offense in Arizona?
At least 12 months on a standard first conviction; longer at higher readings — 12 months for Extreme DUI at 0.15%, 18 months for Super Extreme at 0.20% (A.R.S. 28-1382) The program is run by Arizona MVD (Department of Transportation).
Can you get a DUI on a horse or a bicycle in Arizona?
The answer is in whether the statute says “vehicle” or “motor vehicle”. Where it says vehicle, no engine is needed and the charge can reach a bike or a horse; where it says motor vehicle, it cannot. This is one of the most searched questions in the whole subject and one of the most confidently answered wrongly — the wording of your own state decides it.
A second DUI here →A first DUI here →When a DUI is a felony in Arizona →
When a charge becomes a felony → The test and the refusal → How long it stays on your record →Arizona class requirements →Arizona SR-22 rules →
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.