The statutes that control Georgia DUI cases
DUI in Georgia is defined by Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-391, and the chemical-testing rules sit in Ga. Code Ann. § 40-5-67.1. Both are published in the official state code at law.justia.com, which is the only version that governs — summaries elsewhere, including ours, can lag amendments.
Statutory text, definitions, BAC thresholds and sentencing ranges.
What refusing a breath, blood or urine test costs you.
Statute at a glance
Georgia DUI law at a glance
Sourced from the Georgia code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- DUI (Georgia)
- Controlling statute
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-391
- Implied consent
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-5-67.1
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Licence hearing deadline
- 30 days after arrest
- Prior-offense lookback
- 10 years
- First-offense fine
- $300–$1,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 1 year
- Licence suspension
- 1 year
- Ignition interlock
- Not automatic on a first offense
- Trial court
- the State Court or Superior Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
Miss the ALS deadline and the suspension takes effect automatically.
First-offense exposure under Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-391: $300–$1,000, up to 1 year of jail exposure, and a 1 year licence suspension. Miss the ALS deadline and the suspension takes effect automatically.
What Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-391 actually says
- O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391(a)(1) — driving or being in actual physical control of a moving vehicle while under the influence of alcohol to the extent it is less safe to drive.
- O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391(a)(2) — driving under the influence of any drug to the extent it is less safe to drive.
- O.C.G.A. § 40-6-391 also prohibits driving with an unlawful alcohol concentration and adds child-endangerment provisions.
Charging documents cite the exact subsection, so check which one appears on your citation. The posted text on law.justia.com carries an effective date — amendments passed after it are not yet reflected.
Georgia ZIP codes covered
These Georgia ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
- 30002 — Avondale estates
- 30004 — Zcta 30004
- 30005 — Zcta 30005
- 30008 — Zcta 30008
- 30011 — Zcta 30011
- 30012 — Zcta 30012
- 30013 — Zcta 30013
- 30014 — Zcta 30014
- 30016 — Zcta 30016
- 30017 — Zcta 30017
- 30019 — Zcta 30019
- 30021 — Clarkston
- 30022 — Zcta 30022
- 30024 — Zcta 30024
- 30025 — Zcta 30025
- 30030 — Decatur
- 30032 — Decatur
- 30033 — Decatur
- 30034 — Decatur
- 30035 — Decatur
- 30038 — Lithonia
- 30039 — Zcta 30039
- 30040 — Zcta 30040
- 30041 — Zcta 30041
Counties and cities using these Georgia resources
Counties
Other Georgia official resources
Frequently asked questions
- What statute defines DUI in Georgia?
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-6-391 is the controlling DUI statute in Georgia. You can read the current text on the official code site at law.justia.com.
- What is the Georgia implied-consent law?
- Ga. Code Ann. § 40-5-67.1 is the implied-consent provision. It sets out the consequences of refusing a chemical test after a lawful DUI arrest.