C.G.S. § 14-215(c) - Operating Under DUI-Related Suspension / IID Restriction

This charge applies when you drive while your license is suspended, revoked, or restricted because of a DUI/OUI, test refusal/failure, or an IID requirement—and you’re not in full compliance (for example, you’re driving a vehicle without a required interlock). Courts treat it as defying a safety order, so penalties are tough and include mandatory jail in many situations.

1. You operated a motor vehicle;
2. At that time, your license/privilege was suspended, revoked, or restricted for a DUI-related reason (including IID-only driving); and
3. You knew or should have known about that status/restriction.

• Classification: Typically Class A misdemeanor under 14-215(c).
• First offense: 30-day mandatory minimum jail (up to 1 year total), $500–$1,000 fine.
• Second offense: 120-day mandatory minimum jail, up to 1 year; fines.
• Third or subsequent: 1-year mandatory minimum jail; fines.
• Plus DMV: Additional suspension time, and IID terms can be extended.Note: Courts can sometimes find mitigating circumstances that allow relief from the mandatory minimum, but you should never assume it.

• DMV status printouts (showing suspension/revocation/IID restriction).
• Police reports and bodycam from the stop (why you were pulled over).
• Proof the vehicle had no IID when one was required.
• Prior DUI/refusal records, prior 14-215(c) convictions, and IID vendor logs.
• Statements made roadside (admissions about knowing you were restricted).

• Status error: DMV database mistake; suspension already lifted; notice not properly sent.
• Restriction confusion: Reasonable misunderstanding about which vehicle(s) required IID.
• Necessity/mitigation narrative: Emergency facts, immediate corrective steps, proof of ongoing compliance—used to seek non-jail outcomes or mitigation where allowed.
• Motion practice: Challenge stop (no reasonable suspicion), suppress statements, tighten the record on knowledge/notice.
• Damage control: Rapid IID installation across all driven vehicles; proof of transportation plan; employment and family anchors.

In order to qualify for AR for a violation of 15-215(C), you must have no prior criminal conviction of any kind; have not used the AR program I the last 10 years and you must not have driver a commercial vehicle or hold a CDL.

It’s not guaranteed in a mandatory-minimum motor-vehicle offense, but in select first-time, low-risk cases some courts will consider charge reductions or structured pleas to avoid mandatory jail—especially with strong mitigation (work/treatment records, perfect IID compliance going forward, community service, proof of hardship). The key is early, well-documented advocacy.

1. No IID in the “backup car” Your license is restored IID-only. Your main car has an IID; your older sedan doesn’t. You take the sedan to the store, get stopped. That’s 14-215(c) (and often 14-227k for IID avoidance).
2. Test refusal + early driving After a refusal, you’re on a 45-day hard suspension. On day 18, you drive to work and get pulled over for a taillight. That’s operating under DUI-related suspension → 14-215(c) with a 30-day minimum.
3. Out-of-state confusion Your home state reinstated you, but Connecticut did not and still shows a DUI-based suspension/IID restriction here. You’re stopped while driving in CT. Because CT controls CT roads, this can be 14-215(c).
4. Lawful boundary: fully compliant IID driving You completed the 45-day suspension, paid fees, installed IID in every vehicle you operate, and you’re stopped for speeding. You are IID-compliant and restored → not a 14-215(c) violation (though you may still face the speeding ticket).

• § 14-227k — IID avoidance/tampering or driving a non-IID car while IID-restricted (frequently paired).
• § 14-227a — DUI/OUI.
• § 14-227b — Refusal/administrative per se issues.
• § 53a-167a — Interference with an officer (if the stop escalates).
• Probation violations — if you’re supervised on a DUI case.

• Do not drive until you confirm your exact DMV status.
• If IID-restricted, ensure every vehicle you operate has a functioning IID.
• Save all DMV letters, vendor logs, receipts, and installation reports.
• Talk to a lawyer before making statements; early strategy can avoid months of extra suspension and mandatory jail.
• Prepare mitigation: employment letters, family obligations, treatment/abstinence records, transportation plan.

Charged—or about to be charged—under C.G.S. § 14-215(c) anywhere in Connecticut? Call Allan F. Friedman Criminal Lawyer at (203) 357-5555. I move fast to challenge DMV status, protect your license, and pursue outcomes that avoid mandatory jail wherever the law allows.

There’s a 30-day mandatory minimum. In limited cases, courts can find mitigating circumstances to avoid it—but you need strong, documented reasons and a solid plan.

Yes. If you’re IID-only, every vehicle you operate must have a functioning IID. Driving a non-IID car risks 14-215(c) and often 14-227k as well.

In Connecticut, CT DMV controls your privilege to drive in Connecticut. If CT shows a DUI-based suspension/IID restriction, driving here can violate 14-215(c) even if your home state says you’re fine.

Sometimes. It’s case-by-case. We often pursue a charge reduction or carefully structured plea. Strong mitigation (work, childcare, treatment, documented compliance) is critical.

Often, yes. DMV can extend IID terms and re-suspend your privilege after a 14-215(c) event—separate from the criminal court.

If you’re IID-restricted, install in every vehicle you will operate. Borrowing a “clean” car is a common trap that leads to new charges.

Possibly. The State can prove knowledge through various means (mailing records, prior notices, your statements). We scrutinize notice and the timing to create reasonable doubt.

We build a comprehensive packet: proof of employment and caregiving duties, perfect IID compliance going forward, transportation plan (rideshare, interlock installs), treatment records, and letters verifying community risk is low.

For aggressive, statewide defense of § 14-215(c), call Allan F. Friedman Criminal Lawyer at (203) 357-5555 or use my online contact page. Let’s lock down your DMV status, craft mitigation, and fight for an outcome that keeps you moving forward.