How much does a DUI cost in Kentucky?

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

A first DUI in Kentucky carries a statutory fine of $200–$500. This guide stacks every cost layer an official Kentucky 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.

Kentucky DUI costs at a glance	Figure
Statutory fine — first DUI	For a first offense within a 10-year period, KRS 189A.010 sets a fine of $200 to $500 (the court may instead, or also, impose 48 hours to 30 days in jail). In addition to the fine and all other penalties, every person convicted under KRS 189A.010 must pay a mandatory $425 DUI service fee under KRS 189A.050, plus court costs.
Statutory fine — second DUI	The statute separates a second offense: $350–$500. Second offenses also carry longer suspensions and program requirements — see the sections below.
Court costs & fees	Court costs are charged on top of the fine in every Kentucky DUI case, but the official sources reviewed (including the Department of Public Advocacy's DUI Manual, which lists 'court costs + $425 service fee') publish no single statewide court-cost total, so no figure is listed.
License suspension — first offense	The Transportation Cabinet suspends the license for 6 months for a first offense within a 10-year period. The suspension can be reduced to 4 months if the driver is issued an ignition interlock license and completes 90 consecutive violation-free days within the first 4 months.
License reinstatement fee	The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's ignition interlock application steps list a $40 reinstatement fee, payable at a Driver Licensing Regional Office when the driver is ready to be issued the restricted license.
Ignition interlock	Conditional — restricted license / court order — The Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program (KIIP) lets eligible DUI offenders drive during their suspension with an approved ignition interlock device and earn a shorter suspension (for a first offense, 4 months instead of 6) by staying violation-free for 90 consecutive days. Device and service fees are paid directly to the approved provider under a contract with the driver; the Transportation Cabinet lists installation, monthly monitoring and calibration, and removal fee categories but publishes no dollar amounts. An affordability application is available for drivers who cannot afford the device.
DUI education / treatment program	A first offender is sentenced to a 90-day approved alcohol or substance abuse education or treatment program (Alcohol and Drug Education), which begins with an assessment of the person's substance abuse problems. The offender must pay for the program, on a sliding scale based on ability to pay, and the license cannot be reinstated until the program is completed. No fixed statewide fee is published.
SR-22 insurance filing	No SR-22 requirement could be verified from the official Kentucky pages reviewed; ignition interlock applicants must show proof of insurance, but no official page reviewed names an SR-22 filing, so SR-22 status is recorded as unverified.

The fine

For a first offense within a 10-year period, KRS 189A.010 sets a fine of $200 to $500 (the court may instead, or also, impose 48 hours to 30 days in jail). In addition to the fine and all other penalties, every person convicted under KRS 189A.010 must pay a mandatory $425 DUI service fee under KRS 189A.050, plus court costs.

Court costs & fees

Court costs are charged on top of the fine in every Kentucky DUI case, but the official sources reviewed (including the Department of Public Advocacy's DUI Manual, which lists 'court costs + $425 service fee') publish no single statewide court-cost total, so no figure is listed.

License suspension & reinstatement

The Transportation Cabinet suspends the license for 6 months for a first offense within a 10-year period. The suspension can be reduced to 4 months if the driver is issued an ignition interlock license and completes 90 consecutive violation-free days within the first 4 months.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's ignition interlock application steps list a $40 reinstatement fee, payable at a Driver Licensing Regional Office when the driver is ready to be issued the restricted license.

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

Ignition interlock

The Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program (KIIP) lets eligible DUI offenders drive during their suspension with an approved ignition interlock device and earn a shorter suspension (for a first offense, 4 months instead of 6) by staying violation-free for 90 consecutive days. Device and service fees are paid directly to the approved provider under a contract with the driver; the Transportation Cabinet lists installation, monthly monitoring and calibration, and removal fee categories but publishes no dollar amounts. An affordability application is available for drivers who cannot afford the device.

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

DUI education & treatment program

A first offender is sentenced to a 90-day approved alcohol or substance abuse education or treatment program (Alcohol and Drug Education), which begins with an assessment of the person's substance abuse problems. The offender must pay for the program, on a sliding scale based on ability to pay, and the license cannot be reinstated until the program is completed. No fixed statewide fee is published.

SR-22 & insurance

No SR-22 requirement could be verified from the official Kentucky pages reviewed; ignition interlock applicants must show proof of insurance, but no official page reviewed names an SR-22 filing, so SR-22 status is recorded as unverified.

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

Every Kentucky DUI conviction carries a mandatory $425 service fee under KRS 189A.050, in addition to the fine, court costs, and all other penalties.

Worked total: the verified charges stacked

Item	Cost
Statutory fine	$200–$500
License reinstatement fee	$40
Total of the verified state-set charges above	$240–$540

That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official Kentucky 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: KRS 189A.050 - DUI service fee (Kentucky Legislature) · Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy - DUI Manual, 5th Edition (2024) · Kentucky Transportation Cabinet - DUI Penalties and Programs / Kentucky Ignition Interlock Program. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.

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