Mo. Rev. Stat. » Chapter 577
Missouri Revised Statutes

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.012 (2026)

Driving with excessive blood alcohol content

✓ current as of May 2026
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  577.012.  Driving with excessive blood alcohol content — sentencing restrictions. — 1.  A person commits the offense of driving with excessive blood alcohol content if such person operates:

  (1)  A vehicle while having eight-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in his or her blood; or

  (2)  A commercial motor vehicle while having four one-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in his or her blood.

  2.  As used in this section, percent by weight of alcohol in the blood shall be based upon grams of alcohol per one hundred milliliters of blood or two hundred ten liters of breath and may be shown by chemical analysis of the person's blood, breath, saliva or urine.  For the purposes of determining the alcoholic content of a person's blood under this section, the test shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of sections 577.020 to 577.041.

  3.  The offense of driving with excessive blood alcohol content is:

  (1)  A class B misdemeanor;

  (2)  A class A misdemeanor if the defendant is alleged and proved to be a prior offender;

  (3)  A class E felony if the defendant is alleged and proved to be a persistent offender;

  (4)  A class D felony if the defendant is alleged and proved to be an aggravated offender;

  (5)  A class C felony if the defendant is alleged and proved to be a chronic offender;

  (6)  A class B felony if the defendant is alleged and proved to be a habitual offender.

  4.  A person found guilty of the offense of driving with an excessive blood alcohol content as a first offense shall not be granted a suspended imposition of sentence:

  (1)  Unless such person shall be placed on probation for a minimum of two years; or

  (2)  In a circuit where a DWI court or docket created under section 478.007 or other court-ordered treatment program is available, and where the offense was committed with fifteen-hundredths of one percent or more by weight of alcohol in such person's blood, unless the individual participates in and successfully completes a program under such DWI court or docket or other court-ordered treatment program.

  5.  If a person is not granted a suspended imposition of sentence for the reasons described in subsection 4 of this section:

  (1)  If the individual operated the vehicle with fifteen-hundredths to twenty-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in such person's blood, the required term of imprisonment shall be not less than forty-eight hours;

  (2) If the individual operated the vehicle with greater than twenty-hundredths of one percent by weight of alcohol in such person's blood, the required term of imprisonment shall be not less than five days.

  6.  If a person is found guilty of a second or subsequent offense of driving with an excessive blood alcohol content, the court may order the person to submit to a period of continuous alcohol monitoring or verifiable breath alcohol testing performed a minimum of four times per day as a condition of probation.

  7.  A person found guilty of driving with excessive blood alcohol content:

  (1)  As a prior offender, persistent offender, aggravated offender, chronic offender or habitual offender shall not be granted a suspended imposition of sentence or be sentenced to pay a fine in lieu of a term of imprisonment, section 557.011 to the contrary notwithstanding;

  (2)  As a prior offender shall not be granted parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of ten days imprisonment:

  (a)  Unless as a condition of such parole or probation such person performs at least thirty days of community service under the supervision of the court in those jurisdictions which have a recognized program for community service; or

  (b)  The offender participates in and successfully completes a program established under section 478.007 or other court-ordered treatment program, if available, and as part of either program, the offender performs at least thirty days of community service under the supervision of the court;

  (3)  As a persistent offender shall not be granted parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of thirty days imprisonment:

  (a)  Unless as a condition of such parole or probation such person performs at least sixty days of community service under the supervision of the court in those jurisdictions which have a recognized program for community service; or

  (b)  The offender participates in and successfully completes a program established under section 478.007 or other court-ordered treatment program, if available, and as part of either program, the offender performs at least sixty days of community service under the supervision of the court;

  (4)  As an aggravated offender shall not be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of sixty days imprisonment;

  (5)  As a chronic or habitual offender shall not be eligible for parole or probation until he or she has served a minimum of two years imprisonment; and

  (6)  Any probation or parole granted under this subsection may include a period of continuous alcohol monitoring or verifiable breath alcohol testing performed a minimum of four times per day.

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(L. 1975 S.B. 32, A.L. 1982 S.B. 513, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1169 & 1271 merged with S.B. 722, A.L. 2001 H.B. 302 & 38, A.L. 2010 H.B. 1695, et al., A.L. 2014 S.B. 491, A.L. 2015 S.B. 254, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2332)

Effective 1-01-17

(1986) Probable cause that a person had been "driving" under these sections was found even though the machine stands motionless, where such person is found unconscious behind the wheel with the motor running and the transmission in "drive". Dalton v. McNeill, 713 S.W.2d 26 (Mo.App.W.D.)

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 86 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1980–2024 · leading case: Baldwin v. Dir. of Revenue, 38 S.W.3d 401 (Mo. 2001).
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Baldwin v. Dir. of Revenue, 38 S.W.3d 401 (Mo. 2001). · cites it 18× “010, RSMo, or driving with excessive blood alcohol content in violation of section 577.012, RSMo, or upon probable cause to believe such person violated a state, county or municipal traffic offense and such person was driving with a blood alcohol content of two-hundredths of one…”
Collins v. Dir. of Revenue, 691 S.W.2d 246 (Mo. 1985). · cites it 8× “010 or § 577.012, RSMo Cum.Supp.1984. The Department's determination on the suspension of driving privileges is to be based upon the officer's report.”
State v. Johns, 34 S.W.3d 93 (Mo. 2000). · cites it 4× “Section 577.012. [3] At trial, Johns did not testify on his own behalf.”
Stewart v. Dir. of Revenue, 702 S.W.2d 472 (Mo. 1986). · cites it 5× “1984, (driving while intoxicated) or § 577.012, RSMo Supp.1984 (driving with excessive blood alcohol content) has occurred will subject the arrestee to administrative license suspension proceedings when chemical analysis reveals a BAC of thirteen hundredths (.”
Black v. State, 151 S.W.3d 49 (Mo. 2004). · cites it 3× “Section 577.012, RSMo. Supp.2003. 2 . Judge Wolff, in dissent, concluded that this evidence, even unimpeached, was not sufficient to support the verdict and would have remanded for entry of judgment on second-degree murder.”
State v. Setter, 721 S.W.2d 11 (Mo. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 8× “010 (driving while intoxicated) and § 577.012 (driving with excessive blood alcohol content).”
State of Missouri v. Steven William Shoemaker, 448 S.W.3d 853 (Mo. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 6× “Steven William Shoemaker appeals the convictions of driving a motor vehicle with an excessive blood-alcohol content (BAC), § 577.012, 1 and driving while re *855 voked (DWR), § 302.”
Riche v. Dir. of Revenue, 987 S.W.2d 331 (Mo. 1999). · cites it 3× “010, RSMo, or “driving with excessive blood alcohol content” in violation of section 577.012, RSMo, or upon probable cause to believe such person violated a state, county or municipal traffic offense and such person was driving with a blood alcohol content of two-hundredths of…”
Schranz v. Dir. of Revenue, 703 S.W.2d 912 (Mo. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 3× “010 or § 577.012. The former statute prohibits driving while intoxicated and the latter prohibits driving with .”
State v. Martin, 103 S.W.3d 255 (Mo. Ct. App. 2003). · cites it 3× “Although essential to prove the offense of driving with excessive blood alcohol content, section 577.012, RSMo 2000, proof of a numerical measure of blood alcohol content is not essential in a DWI case.”
State v. Brown, 300 Neb. 57 (Neb. 2018). “Brown attempts to apply this aspect of Mitchell to his advantage and notes that Missouri also had a statute, Mo. Rev. Stat. § 577.012 (West 2003), that set forth an offense of " 'driving with excessive blood alcohol content,' " which required that the person have a certain level…”
State v. Cox, 836 S.W.2d 43 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992). · cites it 6× “010) and driving with excessive blood alcohol content (§ 577.012), but it does not make the refusal admissible in an involuntary manslaughter case.”
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