DUI Law in Kentucky

What is ‘legally drunk’ in Kentucky?

For driver under the age of 21 years, they are considered to be legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is more than .02, for non-commercial drivers above 21 years, they are legally drunk when their blood alcohol level is more than .08. However, for commercial vehicle drivers, they are considered legally drunk when their blood alcohol concentration is more than .04. In Kentucky, school bus drivers are commercial drivers.

Kentucky Drunk Driving Penalties

For first time DUI offenders in Kentucky, they face the following penalties:

• A prison sentence of 2 days to 6 months
• The offender will be subjected to pay a fine ranging from $200 to $500
• The revocation period for the offender’s driver’s license is 1 month to 4 months

For second time offenders within 5 years of their first conviction, they face:

• A prison sentence of 7 days to 6 months in a county jail
• The offender will be subjected to pay a fine ranging from $350 to $500
• The revocation period for the offender’s driver’s license is 12 to 18 months

For offenders convicted for a third time, they face the following penalties:

• A prison sentence of 1 month to 1 year in a county jail
• The offender will be subjected to pay a fine ranging from $500 to $1,000
• The revocation period for the offender’s driver’s license is five years

 
For commercial vehicle drivers, first time offender are disqualified from driving a commercial vehicle for a period of 1 year. However, if at the time of the offense the driver was transporting hazardous material, he/she will be disqualification for a period of three years. For second time offenders they will be disqualified from operating a commercial vehicle for life.

For drivers under 21 years, their driver’s license revocation period is one month to six months. In addition, they will also be subjected to pay a fine of $100 to $500 or perform 20 hours of community service.

The Point System in Kentucky

Kentucky uses the point system to identify habitual reckless or negligent drivers, monitor and correct drivers and promote safety on the road. For any DUI conviction in Kentucky you get 8 points.