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Overview of Virginia’s drunk driving laws

Virginia laws pertaining to individuals found driving with a BAC above the legal limit have been given a rating of “fair” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  This means that Virginia’s DUI laws are about average compared to other states.

Brief summary of Virginia’s drunk driving laws:

• If a driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) reaches 0.08 in Virginia, the driver is considered too intoxicated to drive.
• There is an automatic seven day administrative license suspension in Virginia for a driver’s first DUI offense.
• In Virginia it is not possible for a DUI driver to have their driving privileges restored while their license is suspended (some states allow driving privileges to be restored if the individual can demonstrate that they are suffering from a special hardship because of the restriction).
• Virginia is one of 47 states that uses ignition interlock devices (a device connected to a vehicle’s ignition system, disabling it if alcohol is detected on a driver’s breath).
• Virginia is one of 32 states where drivers with multiple DUI convictions may be required to forfeit their vehicle.

Read more about DUI accident information in our law library articles “Virginia Drunk Driving Statistics” and “Reasons Why Breath Tests Sometimes Fail to Give Accurate Results”.