A second DUI in Arizona carries a mandatory minimum of 30 consecutive days in jail, fines and assessments that top $3,000, a one-year license revocation, and an ignition interlock requirement once you’re eligible to drive again. Penalties climb sharply if your BAC was high or if aggravating factors push the charge into felony territory. Judges have almost no discretion to go below the minimums the legislature has built into the statute.
What Counts as a Second Offense
Arizona uses an 84-month (seven-year) lookback period. The clock runs from the date of the prior offense to the date of the new one, not from conviction dates.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1381 – Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence A first DUI on March 15, 2020 makes any new DUI before March 15, 2027 a second offense.
The type of prior DUI doesn’t matter. A previous standard DUI, Extreme DUI, or Super Extreme DUI all count equally for triggering enhanced second-offense penalties.
Jail, Fines, and Court Requirements for a Standard Second DUI
A standard second-offense DUI applies when your BAC was between .08% and .149%. The statute mandates at least 90 days in jail, with 30 of those days served consecutively. You cannot receive probation or have any portion suspended until the entire sentence has been served.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1381 – Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence
The financial penalties stack. The statute sets a base fine of at least $500, plus two separate $1,250 assessments deposited into the prison construction and operations fund and the public safety equipment fund. Neither assessment is subject to additional surcharges, but the base fine carries the usual court surcharges, pushing the combined total well above $3,000.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1381 – Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence
The court also orders at least 30 hours of community restitution, an alcohol or drug screening, any education or treatment the screening recommends, and completion of an approved traffic survival school course.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1381 – Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence
Higher Penalties for Extreme and Super Extreme BAC
A second Extreme DUI applies at a BAC of .15% to .199%. The mandatory minimum jumps to 120 days in jail, with 60 served consecutively. Combined fines and assessments start at roughly $3,250.2Arizona Department of Public Safety. Impaired Driving
A second Super Extreme DUI, at a BAC of .20% or higher, is the most severe misdemeanor DUI charge Arizona has. The minimum rises to 180 days in jail, with 90 served consecutively. Fines and assessments begin at approximately $3,750, not counting the daily jail costs counties charge inmates separately. Every second-offense DUI, regardless of BAC, requires the screening and any recommended treatment.
When a Second DUI Becomes a Felony
Several circumstances elevate a DUI to Aggravated DUI, a class 4 felony. The consequences shift from months in county jail to years in state prison.
The most common trigger for someone on a second DUI is driving while your license is already suspended, revoked, or canceled because of the prior DUI. Since a first DUI results in a license suspension or revocation, anyone who drives during that period and picks up a new DUI faces an automatic felony charge regardless of BAC.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1383 – Aggravated Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence Driving while impaired with a passenger under 15 also triggers the felony charge.
An Aggravated DUI conviction for driving on a suspended or revoked license carries a minimum of four months in state prison before any release, pardon, or commutation. The sentence can run considerably longer depending on your criminal history and the circumstances. The court also orders treatment, and failing to comply while on probation can bring additional incarceration of up to four months at a time, capped at one year total.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1383 – Aggravated Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence A felony conviction also strips your right to possess firearms, vote while incarcerated, and hold certain professional licenses.
Losing Your License and Getting Back Behind the Wheel
A second DUI conviction results in a full one-year revocation of your driving privilege. The statute uses “revoked,” not “suspended,” and the distinction matters. A revocation terminates your license entirely, and you go through the complete reinstatement process once the revocation period ends.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1381 – Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence
Arizona also has a separate administrative suspension that can take effect before your criminal case resolves. When a law enforcement officer submits a certified report to the MVD, the department enters the suspension and mails notice. The suspension takes effect 30 days later.4Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1385 – Administrative License Suspension for Driving Under the Influence You can request a hearing to challenge it, but the criminal revocation still applies on conviction regardless of the outcome.
Ignition Interlock
After the revocation ends, driving again requires a certified ignition interlock device on every vehicle you operate. The IID takes a breath sample before the engine will start and again at intervals while you drive. The requirement covers vehicles you own, rentals, work vehicles, and any other vehicle you drive for any reason.5Arizona Department of Transportation. Ignition Interlock Services The court can order the IID for more than 12 months beyond the date you complete treatment and become eligible for reinstatement.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 28-1381 – Driving or Actual Physical Control While Under the Influence Tampering with the device or driving a vehicle without one can extend the interlock period by six to twelve months or restart the entire requirement.
SR-22 Insurance
You also need to file an SR-22 with the MVD, certifying that you carry at least Arizona’s minimum required liability insurance. Your insurance company files it electronically on your behalf. The SR-22 must stay in place for three years from the end date of your DUI suspension. If your coverage lapses during that window, your insurer notifies the MVD and the department may suspend your driving privileges immediately.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Future Financial Responsibility (SR-22) If you don’t own a vehicle, you still need a non-owner policy with an SR-22 filing.
What It Actually Costs
The statutory fines are only part of the picture. The real total climbs from several directions:
- Jail costs. Arizona counties charge inmates a daily fee for housing and meals, often around $300 a day. At 30 to 90 days for a standard second DUI, this alone runs into thousands.
- Ignition interlock. Installation typically runs $70 to $170, with monthly leasing and monitoring fees of $50 to $120. Over 12 or more months, expect $700 to $1,600 or more on the device alone.
- Screening and treatment. Court-ordered screening generally runs $150 to $350. Extended treatment costs climb from there.
- Insurance. An SR-22 filing signals a high-risk driver to insurers. Premiums commonly double or triple and stay elevated for three years or longer.
- Traffic survival school. Mandatory for all second-offense convictions, with tuition paid by the driver.
Add the statutory fines (over $3,000), jail costs, interlock expenses, insurance increases, treatment, and lost wages, and a second DUI realistically costs $10,000 to $20,000 or more. The felony aggravated path runs substantially higher because of longer incarceration and steeper legal fees.
Professional Licenses, Commercial Driving, and Travel
Licensed healthcare professionals in Arizona, including nurses, physicians, dental hygienists, pharmacy technicians, and veterinary technicians, must report a DUI arrest to their professional licensing board within 10 working days. The board decides whether to impose discipline, from reprimand to suspension or revocation. Teachers face no equivalent state-level reporting mandate, but individual school districts often require disclosure, and a second offense makes discipline more likely.
Commercial drivers face the harshest collateral consequence. Under federal law, a second DUI conviction of any type results in a lifetime disqualification from holding a commercial driver’s license. Some states allow reinstatement after 10 years, but for most people this ends a commercial driving career. The rule applies whether the second DUI happened in a commercial vehicle or a personal car.
International travel can also become a problem. Canada treats DUI as a serious criminal offense and can deny entry to anyone with a DUI on their record. With multiple convictions, entry is generally barred unless you apply for Criminal Rehabilitation, a formal petition to Canadian immigration authorities. You can’t apply until at least five years have passed since you completed all sentences, probation, fines, and license reinstatement tied to the DUI.