How much does a DUI cost in Rhode Island?

By the DUI Cost Guide Editorial Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

A first DUI in Rhode Island carries a statutory fine of $100–$300. This guide stacks every cost layer an official Rhode Island source prices — the fine, court costs, the license reinstatement fee, the DUI program, ignition interlock, and the SR-22 insurance filing — and says plainly which layers no official source prices at all.

Rhode Island DUI costs at a glance	Figure
Statutory fine — first DUI	Rhode Island fines a first DUI by BAC tier under § 31-27-2(d)(1): $100 to $300 when the BAC is .08 to under .10; $100 to $400 at .10 to under .15 or when the BAC is unknown; and a flat $500 at .15 or above or for drug impairment. Every conviction also adds a mandatory $500 highway safety assessment and an $86 fee on top of the fine.
Statutory fine — second DUI	The statute separates a second offense: $400. Second offenses also carry longer suspensions and program requirements — see the sections below.
Court costs & fees	There is no single statewide court-cost figure. The fixed add-ons set by statute are the $500 highway safety assessment and the $86 fee in § 31-27-2(d)(6), which are collected on every conviction, in addition to any court costs.
License suspension — first offense	For a first offense, the license is suspended for 30 to 180 days at the lowest BAC tier (.08 to under .10), three to twelve months at BAC .10 to under .15, and three to eighteen months at BAC .15 or above.
License reinstatement fee	RI DMV's adjudication fee schedule lists 'License Reinstatement and Refusals (DUI)' at $353.50, which includes the $3.50 technology surcharge; the underlying statutory reinstatement fee for a DUI suspension is $350 under § 31-11-10.
Ignition interlock	Conditional — restricted license / court order — At the two lower BAC tiers, the sentencing judge may prohibit the person from operating a vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system; at BAC .15 or above, or for drug impairment, the judge must impose that prohibition under § 31-27-2(d)(1)(iii) and § 31-27-2.8. DMV also charges a $100 ignition interlock adjudication fee.
DUI education / treatment program	A convicted driver must attend a special course on driving while intoxicated and/or alcohol or drug treatment. RI DMV's adjudication fee schedule lists Alcohol Education at $405.00; the statute separately provides that a course order includes tuition of at least $25 plus a $175 fee paid into the general fund.
SR-22 insurance filing	Whether Rhode Island requires an SR-22 or other proof-of-financial-responsibility filing after a first DUI could not be verified from an official source opened for this project.

The fine

Rhode Island fines a first DUI by BAC tier under § 31-27-2(d)(1): $100 to $300 when the BAC is .08 to under .10; $100 to $400 at .10 to under .15 or when the BAC is unknown; and a flat $500 at .15 or above or for drug impairment. Every conviction also adds a mandatory $500 highway safety assessment and an $86 fee on top of the fine.

Court costs & fees

There is no single statewide court-cost figure. The fixed add-ons set by statute are the $500 highway safety assessment and the $86 fee in § 31-27-2(d)(6), which are collected on every conviction, in addition to any court costs.

License suspension & reinstatement

For a first offense, the license is suspended for 30 to 180 days at the lowest BAC tier (.08 to under .10), three to twelve months at BAC .10 to under .15, and three to eighteen months at BAC .15 or above.

RI DMV's adjudication fee schedule lists 'License Reinstatement and Refusals (DUI)' at $353.50, which includes the $3.50 technology surcharge; the underlying statutory reinstatement fee for a DUI suspension is $350 under § 31-11-10.

The national picture — which states charge the most to reinstate — is in our license reinstatement guide.

Ignition interlock

At the two lower BAC tiers, the sentencing judge may prohibit the person from operating a vehicle that is not equipped with an ignition interlock system; at BAC .15 or above, or for drug impairment, the judge must impose that prohibition under § 31-27-2(d)(1)(iii) and § 31-27-2.8. DMV also charges a $100 ignition interlock adjudication fee.

How interlock pricing works (installation, monthly lease, calibration, removal) is in our ignition interlock cost guide.

DUI education & treatment program

A convicted driver must attend a special course on driving while intoxicated and/or alcohol or drug treatment. RI DMV's adjudication fee schedule lists Alcohol Education at $405.00; the statute separately provides that a course order includes tuition of at least $25 plus a $175 fee paid into the general fund.

SR-22 & insurance

Whether Rhode Island requires an SR-22 or other proof-of-financial-responsibility filing after a first DUI could not be verified from an official source opened for this project.

What an SR-22 is, which states charge a filing fee, and how long it must be carried: SR-22 cost guide.

Towing, impound & other charges

The $500 highway safety assessment is mandatory on every conviction and, by statute, is collected before any other fines; a further $86 fee is also assessed (§ 31-27-2(d)(6)). A second violation within 10 years at BAC under .15 carries a mandatory $400 fine; at BAC .15 or above the mandatory fine is at least $1,000.

Worked total: the verified charges stacked

Item	Cost
Statutory fine	$100–$300
License reinstatement fee	$353.50
DUI program fee	$405
Total of the verified state-set charges above	$858.50–$1,058.50

That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official Rhode Island source prices statewide — court costs where they are set county by county, interlock lease payments to a private vendor, towing and storage, and the insurance increase that follows an SR-22. Add your own figures for those in the cost calculator.

Sources: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-27-2 — Driving under influence of liquor or drugs (RI General Assembly) · Rhode Island DMV — Adjudication Fees. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.

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