You made one bad call — maybe you didn’t think you were over the limit, or maybe you figured you would make it home just fine — but now you are facing a DUI charge, and you are not just worried about the fine or the license suspension.
What is keeping you up is the part no one talks about: how long this one moment is going to follow you and whether there is any way to leave it in the past once the penalties end.
Understand how Connecticut treats a first-time DUI
Even if this is your first offense, Connecticut treats DUI as a criminal matter, not just a traffic violation, and that means the consequences do not stop when your court date ends.
A conviction affects both your driving record and your criminal history, and while the penalties may be lighter the first time, the long-term impact can still disrupt your job, your insurance and your future in ways that are not immediately obvious.
Know how long it stays on your driving and criminal records
On the DMV side, a DUI stays on your driving record for 10 years, which means even a single conviction can raise your insurance rates, flag you in future stops or make it harder to argue for leniency if something else happens down the road. But that’s only half the picture.
On the criminal side, the conviction stays indefinitely unless you take formal steps to remove it — and yes, it can show up on background checks, even years later, unless you are granted a pardon.
Explore your options for clearing your record
In Connecticut, if you have stayed out of trouble since your conviction, you may qualify for an absolute pardon, which is the only way to fully erase a DUI from your record. To apply, you typically need to wait at least three to five years, remain free of any new arrests or pending cases and show that you’ve moved forward in a meaningful way.
And while some records are now cleared automatically under Connecticut’s Clean Slate Law, DUI convictions are not guaranteed to qualify, especially if there is another offense on your record.
Your next step after your first DUI
If you are staring down this charge wondering how far it will reach, know this: while the effects do not fade overnight, they do not have to follow you forever either. A DUI might stay on your record for years, but what you do in the weeks and months after it — the choices you make and the steps you take — can shape how much control it has over your future.
So do not rush through it, and do not shut down. You still have options, and it is not too early to start thinking about the long game.