DUI and implied consent law — Arizona Permit Test

In Arizona it is unlawful to drive, or to be in actual physical control of a vehicle, while under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, medications or illegal drugs.

Sitting behind the wheel with the engine running is one small step from driving off. The law does not wait for the car to move.

It is unlawful for any person who is under the influence of alcohol, marijuana, medications or illegal drugs to drive or be in actual physical control of any vehicle.

Under Arizona's Implied Consent Law, accepting the privilege to drive means you consent to be tested for alcohol and drugs if you are arrested for DUI.

You agree to the test when you take the license, not when you are pulled over. That is why saying no later still costs you.

When you apply for and accept the privilege to drive a vehicle in Arizona, you give consent to be tested for alcohol, marijuana, medications and illegal drugs if you are arrested for driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs (DUI).

An officer who believes you have been driving under the influence will ask you to submit to a test of your blood, breath, urine or other bodily substance.

The test measures what is actually in your blood. It is what turns an officer's suspicion into proof, one way or the other.

the officer will request that you submit to a test of your blood, breath, urine or other bodily substance to measure the amount of alcohol or drugs present in your bloodstream.

A driver stopped for DUI whose test shows an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more loses the driving privilege on the spot.

At 0.08 a driver reacts too slowly to stop for a child or a red light. The license goes right then, before the court date.

If you are stopped for driving under the influence and a test shows that you have an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more (0.04 in a commercial vehicle requiring a commercial driver license), you will lose your driving privilege on the spot.

In a commercial vehicle requiring a commercial driver license, the limit that costs you the driving privilege on the spot is 0.04.

A heavy truck or bus does far more harm in a crash, so its driver is held to half the limit set for a car.

If you are stopped for driving under the influence and a test shows that you have an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more (0.04 in a commercial vehicle requiring a commercial driver license), you will lose your driving privilege on the spot.

A driver under 21 may have the license suspended if there is any alcohol concentration at all.

A new driver has little skill to spare, and even a small amount of alcohol takes some of it away.

If you are under 21, your license may be suspended if there is any alcohol concentration.

Refusing or failing to complete a test when arrested for DUI automatically costs you the driving privilege for 12 months.

If saying no cost less than failing, drunk drivers would all say no. The refusal penalty is set so that it does not pay.

If you refuse to submit to or do not successfully complete any tests when you are arrested for driving under the influence, you will automatically lose your driving privilege for 12 months, or 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months.

A second test refusal within 84 months costs you the driving privilege for 24 months.

A driver who refuses twice is dodging proof on purpose, so the second loss is twice as long as the first.

If you refuse to submit to or do not successfully complete any tests when you are arrested for driving under the influence, you will automatically lose your driving privilege for 12 months, or 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months.

On top of any criminal penalty for a second or third DUI offense, the driving privilege is automatically revoked.

A driver caught twice has shown the first loss did not change the habit. Revocation takes the license away outright.

In addition to any criminal penalties imposed by the court for a second or third offense DUI violation, your driving privilege will be automatically revoked.

Under Arizona's Implied Consent Law, what did you agree to when you accepted your license?

To be tested if arrested for DUI. You agree to the test when you take the license, not when you are pulled over. That is why saying no later still costs you. Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, p.65: “When you apply for and accept the privilege to drive a vehicle in Arizona, you give consent to be tested for alcohol, marijuana, medications and illegal drugs if you are arrested for driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs (DUI).”