How to get your license back after a DUI in Connecticut
Getting a license back after a DUI is an agency process, not a court one: the steps below are the ones the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles lists, in its order, each quoted from the agency's own page. Requirements differ by offense, blood-alcohol level, refusal, and prior record; the state's wording controls.
Steps the state lists
- 1
Read the suspension notice and complete its reinstatement requirements
The DMV's first of 'Four easy steps to reinstating your license in Connecticut' is to read the license suspension notice and complete the requirements it lists; requirements vary by suspension.
What the source says
“Four easy steps to reinstating your license in Connecticut: Read your license suspension notice and complete the requirements for reinstatement.”
- 2
Serve the suspension period
The DMV states a person is not permitted to drive during the term of the suspension. For a first DUI conviction, Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g)(1)(C) imposes a 45-day suspension; the DMV's DUI page states the person is eligible for restoration after the 45-day suspension if there are no other suspensions, and that the separate administrative per se suspension under § 14-227b is also 45 days.
What the source says
“If no other suspensions, eligible for restoration after the 45-day suspension regardless of whether the suspension for failing or refusing a chemical test for the same arrest has been fully served Must install Ignition Interlock Device (IID) IID required for one year following restoration”
- 3
Have an ignition interlock device installed by a Connecticut-approved vendor
The DMV requires an IID before reinstatement for all alcohol-related suspensions (failing or refusing a chemical test, or operating under the influence). The person contacts an approved vendor to schedule installation and the vendor notifies the DMV.
What the source says
“Contact one of the Connecticut-approved IID vendors to schedule an appointment to have the IID installed. The vendor will notify the DMV once the IID is installed.”
- 4
Pay the $175 reinstatement fee and the $100 IID administration fee
The DMV states the $175 reinstatement fee is paid online, by phone, or by check or money order made out to 'DMV', and that additional fees such as the $100 IID administration fee may apply; it suggests paying at least 10 days before the eligibility date (20 days if by mail). Under § 14-227a(i)(6) the $100 fee is paid prior to installation of the device.
What the source says
“Pay the $175 reinstatement fee to the DMV. (Additional fees may apply - e.g., IID administration fee $100). You can pay the fee online , by phone at 860-263-5720, or by mail (check or money order made payable to “DMV”).”
- 5
Resolve any other license suspensions
The DMV states other license-related suspensions need to be resolved before the license is reinstated.
What the source says
“Be sure to check if you have any other license-related suspensions. Suspensions need to be resolved before your license is reinstated.”
- 6
Receive the restoration notice and drive only with the IID for the required period
Once all requirements are met and the suspension time is served, the DMV reinstates the license with the IID requirement and mails a final approval letter/restoration notice with the IID program rules; the IID requirement starts on the restoration date, not the installation date. A current, valid driver's license is needed before driving.
What the source says
“After all reinstatement requirements are met and you have served your suspension time, your license is reinstated with the IID requirement. ... You may only operate/drive a vehicle equipped with an IID for the duration required.”
Official reinstatement page: Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles
Conditions that travel with reinstatement
| Reinstatement fee | $175 |
|---|---|
| SR-22 / financial-responsibility filing | No — Connecticut SR-22 requirements |
| Ignition interlock | Connecticut interlock rule |
| Driving during the suspension | Special operator's permit (special use permit for suspended drivers: 'work', 'education' or 'medical' permit) — not available for DUI suspensions |
| Re-examination | Knowledge test: required in some cases · road test: required in some cases |
Driving during the suspension: Special operator's permit (special use permit for suspended drivers: 'work', 'education' or 'medical' permit) — not available for DUI suspensions
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-37a allows a suspended driver to apply for a special 'work', 'education' or 'medical' permit with a $100 application fee, but provides that no special operator's permit shall be issued to any person whose license has been suspended previously under §§ 14-227a, 14-227b, 14-227m or 14-227n; the DMV's Special Use Permit page lists 'Suspensions for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI/DWI/OUI)' as disqualifying. After a DUI, the license is instead restored with an IID restriction; for a second conviction, § 14-227a(g)(2)(C) limits driving during the first year of the three-year IID period to work, school, an alcohol or drug abuse treatment program, an IID service center, or a probation appointment.
“To qualify for a special use permit, you cannot have any of the following on your driving record: Suspensions for failure to appear/pay a citation Suspensions for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol (DUI/DWI/OUI)”
When the interlock can be removed
Term-based with violation extensions. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g), the IID restriction runs for one year following restoration after a first conviction and three years after a second (the first year limited to work, school, treatment, IID service and probation travel); the administrative per se restriction under § 14-227b(i) runs six months to three years, and the DMV applies whichever period is longer, starting on the restoration date. The DMV states vendors report violations (failing to appear for service within five days of the scheduled date, a start-up test at 0.05 BAC or higher, tampering, circumvention, driving without the IID, or removing the IID without written DMV authorization) and that the DMV extends the IID requirement by 30 days for each violation, with a notice letter and a contest procedure through the Driver Services Division. Removal requires written authorization from the DMV. No early-removal or compliance-based reduction and no removal fee cap is stated.
Compliance period: none stated; each reported violation adds 30 days to the requirement
“If you commit any of the above violations, the DMV extends your IID requirement by 30 days for each violation. ... If your vendor reports any violations to the DMV, a letter is sent to the address on record, notifying you of the IID violation and the extension of the IID requirement.”
Will you have to retake the test? Re-examination in Connecticut
Some states hand the license back once the conditions are met; others treat a revoked or long-withdrawn license as expired and issue a new one only after the knowledge test, the road test or a vision screening is passed again. The rules below are the licensing agency's own, one per test.
| Knowledge (written) test | Required in some cases The DMV's reinstatement steps are the requirements on the suspension notice, the $175 restoration fee and the restoration notice; no test is listed. A knowledge test arises when the license has been expired two or more years: it can no longer be renewed, and the driver follows the procedure for a new license, which begins with the vision and written knowledge tests for a learner's permit. What the source says“To get your permit, you must pass a vision and written knowledge test in person at the DMV.” |
|---|---|
| Road (driving) test | Required in some cases The road test is the last step of the same new-license procedure, taken after the permit and any required training, and the new license is then mailed. What the source says“Pass your road test (or “driving test”) and receive your new license in the mail.” |
| Vision screening | Required in some cases The vision test is taken with the knowledge test at the same DMV appointment, and only on the new-license path; a license expired less than two years is renewed without it. What the source says“To get your permit, you must pass a vision and written knowledge test in person at the DMV.” |
What triggers a re-test
Expiry, not the suspension itself: a Connecticut license expired two or more years cannot be renewed, and the driver follows the procedure for getting a new driver's license. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-36(e)(3) states the same rule — an applicant whose license expired more than two years before the application demonstrates knowledge of the motor vehicle laws and the rules of the road and the ability to operate the vehicle before a license is granted.
“Your driver’s license is expired two or more years. Please follow the procedure for getting a new driver’s license”- Testing fee
- $40 — license exam fee; the DMV states that a further $40 exam fee is paid for each retake of the knowledge test (after a seven-day wait) or the road test (after a fourteen-day wait); the $175 restoration fee and the license fee are separate
What the source says
“Note: To take the road test again, you will need to pay another license exam fee of $40.”
- Where to take it
- portal.ct.gov — the vision and knowledge tests are taken at the same DMV appointment, vision first; the road test is scheduled online and given at DMV road-test locations
- Official driver manual
- Connecticut Driver's Manual
- The rule
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-36(e)(3)
“or whose Connecticut motor vehicle operator's license expired more than two years prior to the application date, the commissioner shall require the applicant to demonstrate personally to the commissioner, a deputy, a motor vehicle inspector or an agent of the commissioner”
Questions about re-testing in Connecticut
- Does a Connecticut DUI suspension mean retaking the tests?
- Not by itself. The DMV's reinstatement page lists the suspension-notice requirements, the $175 restoration fee and the restoration notice, with no test. Tests come back only if the license has been expired two or more years, because a license that old cannot be renewed and the driver follows the new-license procedure: vision and knowledge tests for a permit, then the road test.
- What does the statute say?
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-36(e)(3) requires an applicant who has not held a Connecticut license, or whose license expired more than two years before the application, to demonstrate to the commissioner that they are a proper person to operate the vehicle class applied for, with sufficient knowledge of the vehicle and satisfactory knowledge of the motor vehicle laws and rules of the road.
- What do the tests cost?
- The DMV states a license exam fee of $40, with another $40 for each retake of the knowledge test after a seven-day wait or of the road test after a fourteen-day wait. The $175 restoration fee is separate.
Reinstatement knowledge check: Connecticut
Ten questions on the rules this site cites for the state — the figures the licensing agency and the statute state, with a link to where each one is stated. The order changes every time.
This is not the agency's knowledge test and does not predict it; it checks the rules cited on this site.
Questions about reinstatement in Connecticut
- What does the Connecticut DMV require to restore a license after a DUI suspension?
- The CT DMV's Ignition Interlock Device Program page states an IID is required to reinstate after any alcohol-related suspension: the person has the device installed by a Connecticut-approved vendor (which notifies the DMV), pays the $175 reinstatement fee and the $100 IID administration fee, resolves any other suspensions, and serves the suspension time; the license is then reinstated with the IID requirement and a restoration notice is mailed.
- How long does the Connecticut interlock restriction last and can it be extended?
- Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a(g), the IID is required for one year following restoration after a first conviction and three years after a second; the administrative per se period under § 14-227b(i) may differ, and the DMV applies the longer period, starting on the restoration date. The DMV states each reported violation (missed service, 0.05+ start-up test, tampering, circumvention, driving without the IID, or unauthorized removal) extends the requirement by 30 days.
- Can a Connecticut driver suspended for DUI get a special work permit?
- No. The CT DMV's Special Use Permit page lists suspensions for driving under the influence as disqualifying, and Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-37a(b) provides that no special operator's permit is issued to a person whose license has been suspended under §§ 14-227a, 14-227b, 14-227m or 14-227n. After restoration with an IID, a second offender's driving is limited for the first year to work, school, treatment, IID service and probation travel under § 14-227a(g)(2)(C).
Sources
- CT DMV – Connecticut Ignition Interlock Device (IID) Program (installation, fees, restoration, violations and 30-day extensions)
- CT DMV – Driving Under the Influence: Laws & Penalties (suspension/IID periods)
- CT DMV – Reinstate your CT driver's license after a suspension ('Four easy steps')
- CT DMV – Special Use Permit for Suspended Driver's Licenses (DUI disqualification)
- CT DMV – Pay license reinstatement fee (from the existing state record)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 14-227a (chapter 248), subsections (g) penalties/IID periods and (i) ignition interlock device – Connecticut General Assembly
- Conn. Gen. Stat. chapter 246, incl. § 14-37a special operator's permit and § 14-111(j) IID non-compliance – Connecticut General Assembly