A first offense DUI conviction will result in a loss of your license to drive. It’s likely that your license was already suspended at the time of arrest from failing or refusing a breathalyzer test. If this suspension has concluded, a conviction will lead to a new and separate suspension. This is the most likely scenario since there’s a 30-day suspension for failing the breath test, and a 180-day suspension for refusing the test (for a first offense). Court cases tend to take longer than this to resolve.

OUI and DUI laws in Massachusetts follow the same basic guidelines, no matter whether it’s your first DUI or your fifth. Drivers who operate a motor vehicle on a public roadway—or any area with a public right of access—while their ability to drive is impaired by alcohol or drugs are “driving under the influence” and can be charged with an OUI/DUI.

The Massachusetts breathalyzer test is a tool used by law enforcement to determine driver impairment and gather evidence in support of OUI/DUI charges. In practice, however, the results of the test aren’t black and white. Below are five different ways a Massachusetts breathalyzer test can affect the outcome of a first DUI offense.

Declining an OUI or DUI breath test in Massachusetts is not a crime. Doing so prevents the prosecution from acquiring potentially incriminating evidence that can be used against you if you are charged with DUI/OUI. Breath test refusal means nothing in court on its own, and the prosecution will not even be allowed to reference the fact that you declined to take the test.

Unless you get a Not Guilty verdict for an OUI in Massachusetts in court, you can expect to be facing a Massachusetts license suspension. But how long will that suspension last? Or, better yet, can you learn how to get your license back after a DUI or OUI as quickly as possible?

Getting charged with a first offense OUI/DUI in Massachusetts means that, among other penalties, your driver’s license will be suspended. The length of that suspension depends on a few factors, though, as the particular circumstances surrounding your situation can and will affect how long your DUI license suspension will last.

Getting pulled over by an officer of the law is a stressful experience, to say the least, especially if the officer asks you to take a DUI breathalyzer test. Should you take the test? What happens if you refuse to take it? Are there consequences for refusing a breathalyzer, and if so, how do they compare to the consequences of taking the test and failing?

When facing a DUI/OUI first offense in Massachusetts, you’re going to have a couple of options to consider before and during your upcoming trial in court. Most first offenders have an opportunity outside of a Not Guilty verdict to escape a conviction. That opportunity takes the form of a Continuance Without a Finding.

When you’re charged with a first offense DUI/OUI in Massachusetts, it’s practically a guarantee that you’ll be facing a license suspension of some sort. However, the length of that suspension and the factors that dictate when you get your license back will depend on the specific circumstances around your case.

Getting charged with a DUI/OUI leaves you in an incredibly difficult situation. Your driver’s license is suspended, you may have just spent a night in jail, and now you’ve got an arraignment to deal with (and eventually, a formal trial to prepare for). If this is your first DUI charge, then you’re also in uncharted territory; you may feel adrift at sea without so much as a compass to point you in a coherent direction.