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Minnesota DWI penalties breakdown: every component, line by line
Our Minnesota DUI costs page gives the state overview. This page does the narrower job: Minnesota grades DWI by aggravating factors rather than by offence number alone, so this page prices each component of chapter 169A for a fourth-degree first offence and a third-degree case, the revocation periods, refusal as a crime in itself, and the DVS reinstatement fee — with no added-up total.
Degrees, not just offence numbers: fourth-degree and third-degree DWI
A first DWI with no aggravating factor is a fourth-degree DWI under § 169A.27, a misdemeanour carrying up to ninety days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Minnesota's three aggravating factors are defined in § 169A.03: a prior impaired-driving conviction or license revocation within ten years, a concentration of 0.16 or higher, and a child under sixteen in the vehicle where the age gap exceeds thirty-six months. One aggravating factor raises the offence to third-degree DWI under § 169A.26, a gross misdemeanour carrying up to one year in jail (364 days under the current gross-misdemeanour ceiling) and a fine of up to $3,000; two factors make it second-degree, and a fourth offence makes it a first-degree felony with a fine of up to $14,000 and up to seven years.
The grading matters to cost in a second way: the sentence in a gross-misdemeanour case commonly turns on the chemical-use assessment the court orders, and the assessment, education and treatment that follow are billed by the provider rather than priced in chapter 169A. Vehicle-side consequences also attach by factor rather than by sentence — a concentration of 0.16 or higher, a refusal, or a qualifying prior exposes the vehicle to plate impoundment under § 169A.60, and repeat cases to forfeiture. Our high-BAC page covers the 0.16 threshold's role across states.
Revocation, refusal as a crime, and the $680 reinstatement fee
The administrative revocation under § 169A.52 starts on the test result: ninety days for a first failure below the aggravating threshold, and one year where the concentration was 0.16 or higher or the driver has a qualifying prior. Minnesota is one of the few states where refusing the test is itself a crime — first-degree and gross-misdemeanour exposure depending on the record — in addition to a one-year revocation for the refusal. During a revocation the practical route back to driving is the ignition interlock programme administered by Driver and Vehicle Services: enrolment restores driving on an interlock-restricted license for the revocation period, and for longer revocations and cancellations it is the only route. Our refusal page covers Minnesota's criminal-refusal model in context.
Reinstatement at the end of a revocation carries one of the highest published fees in this series: Driver and Vehicle Services charges a $680 reinstatement fee after an alcohol-related revocation, together with a passed DWI knowledge examination, a completed chemical-health assessment on file, and proof of insurance. The interlock programme's device is leased from an approved vendor at the vendor's rates for the enrolment period. Our reinstatement page and interlock page cover the fee and the programme in detail.
| DUI component | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Fourth-degree DWI — first, no aggravating factor (§ 169A.27) | Misdemeanour; up to 90 days; fine up to $1,000 |
| Third-degree DWI — one aggravating factor (§ 169A.26) | Gross misdemeanour; up to 1 year; fine up to $3,000 |
| Aggravating factors (§ 169A.03) | Prior within 10 years; concentration 0.16+; child under 16 in the vehicle (age gap over 36 months) |
| Administrative revocation (§ 169A.52) | 90 days first failure; 1 year at 0.16+ or with a qualifying prior |
| Test refusal | A crime in itself, plus a 1-year revocation |
| Plate impoundment (§ 169A.60) | At 0.16+, on refusal, or with a qualifying prior |
| DVS reinstatement fee | $680, plus DWI knowledge test, chemical-health assessment and proof of insurance |
Sources: Minnesota Statutes §§ 169A.03, 169A.20, 169A.26, 169A.27, 169A.52, 169A.60; Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services reinstatement and ignition interlock programme schedules. Last verified: October 2026.
The fine is one line in a longer stack — court costs, program fees, interlock, supervision and reinstatement all bill separately. Price the layers that apply to your case in the calculator.
Open the DUI cost calculatorWhat this state does not publish as a single figure
Minnesota court costs and the local surcharges that attach to a criminal sentence are assessed in the case and differ by county, and the chemical-use assessment, education and treatment are billed by the provider the court or DVS accepts — which is why this page prints the chapter 169A fine ceilings, the revocation periods and the DVS's $680 reinstatement fee, and describes assessment and treatment as requirements instead of pricing them as state charges. Probation supervision conditions and any monitoring charges follow the supervising agency's schedule.
There is no published Minnesota figure for the effect of a DWI on the price of insuring a car, and none is estimated here; the state's requirement is proof of insurance at reinstatement, priced by the insurer. The first-degree felony range is stated by classification only and is deliberately not blended into the misdemeanour and gross-misdemeanour figures above.
Common questions
- What makes a first Minnesota DWI a gross misdemeanour instead of a misdemeanour?
- Any single aggravating factor under § 169A.03 — most often a concentration of 0.16 or higher on a first arrest — which raises the ceiling from $1,000 and ninety days to $3,000 and one year.
- Is refusing the test really a separate crime in Minnesota?
- Yes. Minnesota criminalises test refusal itself, on top of a one-year license revocation for the refusal — one of the strictest refusal models in the country.
- What does DVS charge to reinstate after a DWI revocation?
- $680, together with a passed DWI knowledge test, a chemical-health assessment on file and proof of insurance; interlock enrolment is the driving route during the revocation itself.
Related cost guides: Minnesota DUI costs overview, high-BAC DUI costs, DUI refusal costs, ignition interlock costs, license reinstatement fees.
Sources: Minnesota Statutes §§ 169A.03, 169A.20, 169A.26, 169A.27, 169A.52, 169A.60; Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services reinstatement and ignition interlock programme schedules. Last verified: October 2026. This page is educational information about costs only — not legal advice. Laws and fees change; confirm current figures with your court and your state's driver-licensing agency.