Can you get a DUI on a lawn mower?
In Iowa and Minnesota, the wording of the law covers it. Both states' drunk-driving laws apply to a “motor vehicle,” and both define that as a vehicle that is self-propelled. A riding mower is self-propelled.
Iowa
Iowa calls the offense operating while intoxicated, or OWI. A person commits it if they operate “a motor vehicle in this state” while under the influence or with an alcohol concentration of .08 or more.
Iowa's vehicle code defines a motor vehicle as “a vehicle which is self-propelled and not operated upon rails.” A first offense is a serious misdemeanor with a minimum of 48 hours in jail.
Minnesota
Minnesota's driving while impaired law defines a motor vehicle as “every vehicle that is self-propelled.” It specifically includes motorboats and off-road recreational vehicles, and leaves out anything “moved solely by human power.”
What that means
- A riding mower has an engine and moves itself, so it fits both definitions.
- A bicycle is moved by human power, so it does not fit Minnesota's.
- Other states define the offense differently. Some limit it to public roads.
Whether a particular charge holds up is for a court to decide. This page is general information, not legal advice.
The episode
Zero Turn is based on an Iowa complaint in which a man was charged with OWI after a deputy stopped him on a riding mower.
Sources
- Iowa Code 321J.2, operating while intoxicated
- Iowa Code 321.1, definitions (subsection 42)
- Minn. Stat. 169A.03, subd. 15
Checked October 4, 2026. General information, not legal advice.