Oregon BAC Limits & DUI Consequences
Blood-alcohol legal limits for adults, minors, and commercial drivers; refusal-to-test penalties; first-offense consequences.
- BAC limit: adult (21+)
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0.08
Source: OR Driver Manual 2026-2027, "Impaired Driving," p.81: "If your blood alcohol concentration is 0.08% or more, Oregon law presumes you are impaired." Codified at ORS 813.010(1)(a). Verified Apr 2026
- BAC limit: minor (under 21)
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Oregon is a zero-tolerance state for drivers under 21: any amount of alcohol in the blood is a failed test; the law is phrased as "any amount," not a numeric threshold (0.00 is shorthand for drilling). A driver under 21 who fails or refuses a breath or blood test faces suspension of driving privileges under the implied-consent law.
- BAC limit: commercial driver
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A driver operating a commercial motor vehicle in Oregon with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or more has commercial driving privileges suspended for one year. This limit is not stated in the Class C driver manual; it comes from the commercial-privilege suspension statute and mirrors the federal CDL standard.
- Implied consent: refusal consequences
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By driving any motor vehicle on Oregon premises open to the public, you have automatically consented to a breath, blood, or urine test if requested by a police officer who has reasonable grounds to suspect impairment. **Refusal consequences (first offense, no priors in last 5 years):** - License suspension: 1 year (ORS 813.420, 813.100) - Civil penalty: $650 minimum, up to $1,000 (ORS 813.095) - Refusal itself can be used as evidence in court **Refusal with a prior DUII conviction or refusal in the last 5 years:** - License suspension: 3 years - Civil penalty up to $1,000 **Test failure (BAC at or above the legal limit):** - License suspension: 90 days first failure / 1 year if prior DUII or refusal - Hearing rights: written request must be filed within 10 days of arrest Under-21 drivers face suspension on any measurable BAC under the zero-tolerance scheme (ORS 813.300).
Source: OR Driver Manual 2026-2027, "Impaired Driving," p.82 (narrative). Penalty specifics from ORS 813.095 (refusal civil penalty), ORS 813.100 (implied consent), ORS 813.410 / 813.420 (suspensions on refusal and test failure). Verified Apr 2026
- DUI first-offense consequences
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A first-offense DUII (driving under the influence of intoxicants) in Oregon is a **Class A misdemeanor** under ORS 813.010. **Fines:** $1,000 mandatory minimum for a first offense; $2,000 minimum if BAC was 0.15% or more. The maximum is the ordinary Class A misdemeanor cap of $6,250 (ORS 161.635), rising to $10,000 if there was a passenger under 18 who was at least three years younger than the driver (ORS 813.010(7)). **Jail or community service:** at least 48 hours' imprisonment, or community service in the court-set range of 80 to 250 hours (ORS 813.020; ORS 137.129). The Class A misdemeanor maximum is 364 days (ORS 161.615). **License suspension:** on a first conviction, DMV suspends driving privileges for one year (ORS 813.400; Schedule II, ORS 809.428). Separately, implied-consent suspensions can follow the arrest itself: 90 days for failing a breath or blood test, one year for refusing one (ORS 813.420). **Ignition interlock:** required for one year after the conviction suspension ends (ORS 813.602(1)). **DUII Diversion Program:** a first-time offender may petition under ORS 813.200 et seq.; the agreement runs one year from the date the court allows the petition (ORS 813.230), and completion results in dismissal. Diversion is barred if the defendant had a DUII conviction or diversion within the prior 15 years, held commercial driving privileges on the offense date, was operating a commercial motor vehicle, or the offense involved an accident causing the death of any person or physical injury to anyone other than the defendant (ORS 813.215(1)). **Other consequences:** a screening interview and completion of the referred alcohol/drug treatment program (ORS 813.021); a victim-impact treatment session if ordered by the court in a county with a program (ORS 813.020); and an SR-22 financial-responsibility filing maintained for three years from when the filing is required (ORS 806.245).
- Ignition interlock required after DUI
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Required after any DUII conviction. Required for at least 1 year after license reinstatement on a first DUII conviction; 2 years on a subsequent conviction. Also required for participants in the DUII Diversion Program for the duration of the diversion period (typically 1 year). The device prevents the vehicle from starting if it detects alcohol on the driver's breath above a calibrated threshold (typically 0.025 BAC).
Source: ORS 813.602 (mandatory ignition interlock device after DUII); ORS 813.604 (interlock specifications); ORS 813.635 (required during DUII Diversion). Verified Apr 2026
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