DWI in Arkansas: the law, the limits and the device
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Arkansas calls it DWI — driving while intoxicated, and you will see DUI and drunk driving used for the same offense. What follows is what this state sets, taken from its own published rules rather than from a national summary.
What Arkansas law actually requires
Arkansas ties the device to the suspension one for one: the state requires an interlock installed for a period equal to your license suspension, and you file a Confirmation of Interlock Requirement with Driver Control. Reinstatement also needs a drug and alcohol education or treatment program, a Victim Impact Panel and a $150 fee.
- First offense: A period equal to the driving license suspension, with the restriction lasting until that period is complete
- Lockout threshold: Set by the certified device; Driver Control accepts the Confirmation of Interlock Requirement form as proof
- Program run by: Arkansas Office of Driver Services (Department of Finance and Administration)
Source: www.dfa.arkansas.gov, checked 2026-08-23
DUI vs DWI in Arkansas
Arkansas uses DWI, and the difference from plain DUI is worth getting right: both describe driving impaired, and locally the charge is written as DWI — driving while intoxicated
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 DWI on a bike or a horse in Arkansas?
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.
How often this happens in Arkansas
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 AR 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. Arkansas runs above the national share.
What it costs to get driving again in Arkansas
Arkansas does not publish a price cap we could verify, so the quote is the number and your only leverage is a competitor nearby. The national reference points are installation and a monthly fee, with calibration visits every 30 to 60 days.
The two clocks in Arkansas
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.
Arkansas cities
The county that hears your case is set by where the stop happened, and local practice differs across the state.
DWI questions in Arkansas
Is it called DUI or DWI in Arkansas?
Arkansas uses DWI — driving while intoxicated. You will also see 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 Arkansas?
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: Set by the certified device; Driver Control accepts the Confirmation of Interlock Requirement form as proof
How long does the interlock stay on after a first offense in Arkansas?
A period equal to the driving license suspension, with the restriction lasting until that period is complete The program is run by Arkansas Office of Driver Services (Department of Finance and Administration).
Can you get a DWI on a horse or a bicycle in Arkansas?
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 first DWI here →A second DWI here →When a DWI is a felony in Arkansas →
When a charge becomes a felony → The test and the refusal → Arkansas class requirements →SR-22 and FR-44 →
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.