Key points
At 0.08 percent or more (0.04 in a commercial vehicle), you lose your driving privilege on the spot.
Source: Handbook p. 65
“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.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 65You can be found guilty of DUI even below 0.08 percent.
Source: Handbook p. 65
“You may be found guilty of driving while intoxicated even if the BAC was less than 0.08 percent.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 65Under 21, your license may be suspended for any alcohol concentration.
Source: Handbook p. 65
“If you are under 21, your license may be suspended if there is any alcohol concentration.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 65Refusing or failing to complete a test means losing your privilege for 12 months, or 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months.
Source: Handbook p. 65
“you will automatically lose your driving privilege for 12 months, or 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 65A first DUI means at least 10 consecutive days in jail, a suspension of at least 90 days and a fine of at least $1,250.
Source: Handbook p. 66
“you will be jailed for not less than 10 consecutive days, your driver license will be suspended for not less than 90 days, and you will be assessed a fine of not less than$1,250.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 66A second DUI means at least 90 days in jail, a fine of at least $3,000 and a 12 month revocation.
Source: Handbook p. 66
“You will be jailed for not less than 90 days, fined not less than $3,000, and your license will be revoked for 12 months.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 66Extreme DUI applies at an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher.
Source: Handbook p. 66
“This category of DUI applies to a person with an alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 66Aggravated DUI includes a DUI while suspended, a third DUI in 7 years, or a DUI with a child under 15 in the car.
Source: Handbook p. 66
“commits a DUI while their driving privilege is suspended or revoked, commits a third DUI in 7 years, or commits a DUI while a person under 15 is in the vehicle.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 66A driver or passenger may not drink or hold an open container of liquor in the passenger compartment.
Source: Handbook p. 59
“It is illegal for a driver or passenger to consume or possess an open container of spirituous liquor in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle while on any public roadway.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 59Alcohol involvement in crashes reaches its highest rate at ages 21 to 34.
Source: Handbook p. 59
“Alcohol involvement in vehicle crashes reaches its highest rate for those between the ages of 21 and 34.”
Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Handbook p. 59
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 0.08 percent | BAC that costs your license on the spot | Handbook p. 65 |
| 0.04 | BAC limit in a commercial vehicle | Handbook p. 65 |
| Under 21 | drivers who may be suspended for any alcohol | Handbook p. 65 |
| 12 and 24 months within 84 months | license loss for a first refusal, and for a second refusal within 84 months | Handbook p. 65 |
| 10 days, 90 days, $1,250 | minimum jail, suspension and fine for a first DUI | Handbook p. 66 |
| 90 days, $3,000, 12 months | minimum jail, fine and revocation for a second DUI | Handbook p. 66 |
| 0.15 | BAC for extreme DUI | Handbook p. 66 |
| 30 days and $2,500 | minimum jail and fine for a first extreme DUI | Handbook p. 66 |
| 0.20 | BAC that raises extreme DUI jail to at least 45 days on a first offense | Handbook p. 66 |
| 7 years and under 15 | a third DUI in this period, or a DUI with a child this young, is aggravated | Handbook p. 66 |
| 21 to 34 | ages with the highest rate of alcohol involvement in crashes | Handbook p. 59 |
| 21 to 29 | adults most likely to drive after drinking | Handbook p. 60 |
3 questions from the Arizona practice test
1. For a driver of a noncommercial vehicle in Arizona, which alcohol concentration triggers the immediate loss of driving privilege after a DUI stop?
- 0.04 percent or more
- 0.15 percent or more
- 0.08 percent or more
- Any reading below 0.08 percent
Show answer
0.08 percent or more. For a regular, noncommercial vehicle, an alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or more causes the driver to lose the driving privilege on the spot after a DUI stop and test. The 0.04 percent figure belongs to a commercial vehicle that requires a commercial driver license, so it is the tempting but narrower threshold. A reading of 0.15 percent describes the beginning of the extreme DUI category, not the ordinary immediate threshold. Keep the vehicle type in view: regular vehicle means 0.08 percent, commercial vehicle means 0.04 percent.
2. For a driver under 21 in Arizona, what alcohol finding can lead to a license suspension?
- Only a reading of 0.08 percent or higher
- Any alcohol concentration
- Only a reading of 0.15 percent or higher
- Alcohol only when combined with a moving violation
Show answer
Any alcohol concentration. Arizona may suspend the license of a driver under 21 if there is any alcohol concentration. No minimum numeric BAC is needed for this under-21 rule, so the 0.08 percent option incorrectly imports the adult threshold. The 0.15 percent choice is tied to extreme DUI and is much higher than the youth standard. Remember the quick cue for this question: under 21 plus any alcohol concentration can produce a suspension, even when the number is below the adult DUI benchmark.
3. At what alcohol concentration does Arizona classify a DUI as extreme DUI?
- 0.08 percent or higher
- 0.10 percent or higher
- 0.15 percent or higher
- 0.20 percent only
Show answer
0.15 percent or higher. Arizona's extreme DUI category begins when a person has an alcohol concentration of 0.15 percent or higher. The 0.08 percent option is the ordinary noncommercial DUI threshold, while 0.20 percent is a higher level that can bring additional consequences within the extreme category. The question asks when the category starts, so use 0.15 percent, not the later 0.20 percent consequence. When reviewing BAC rules, separate the basic threshold from enhanced classifications and their added penalties.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with alcohol and dui questions from the free Arizona practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Arizona Driver License Manual and Customer Service Guide, Use of Alcohol, Marijuana and Other Drugs. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.