The statutes that control Missouri DWI cases
DWI in Missouri is defined by Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.010, and the chemical-testing rules sit in Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.020. Both are published in the official state code at revisor.mo.gov, 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
Missouri DWI law at a glance
Sourced from the Missouri code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- DWI (Missouri)
- Controlling statute
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.010
- Implied consent
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.020
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Licence hearing deadline
- 15 days after arrest
- Prior-offense lookback
- 5 years
- First-offense fine
- up to $1,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 6 months
- Licence suspension
- 3 months
- Trial court
- the Circuit Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
A first offense is a class B misdemeanor with up to six months jail.
First-offense exposure under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.010: up to $1,000, up to 6 months of jail exposure, and a 3 months licence suspension. A first offense is a class B misdemeanor with up to six months jail.
What Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.010 actually says
- RSMo § 577.010(1) — a person commits the offense of driving while intoxicated by operating a vehicle while in an intoxicated condition.
- RSMo § 577.010 sets sentencing restrictions tied to prior offenses and aggravating circumstances.
- RSMo § 577.020 sets out implied consent to chemical testing.
Charging documents cite the exact subsection, so check which one appears on your citation. The posted text on revisor.mo.gov carries an effective date — amendments passed after it are not yet reflected.
Missouri ZIP codes covered
These Missouri ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these Missouri resources
Counties
Other Missouri official resources
Frequently asked questions
- What statute defines DWI in Missouri?
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.010 is the controlling DWI statute in Missouri. You can read the current text on the official code site at revisor.mo.gov.
- What is the Missouri implied-consent law?
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.020 is the implied-consent provision. It sets out the consequences of refusing a chemical test after a lawful DWI arrest.