Key points
A first chemical test refusal brings a 6 month suspension, a $200 to $500 fine, a $500 highway safety assessment and 10 to 60 hours of community service.
Source: Handbook p. 59
“Chemical Test Refusal 1st Violation 6 month license suspension $200 - $500 fine $500 highway safety assessment 10 - 60 hours of community service”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 59A second adult refusal within 5 years is a misdemeanor with up to 6 months in prison.
Source: Handbook p. 60
“2nd violation (within a 5 year period) - Misdemeanor Up to 6 months in prison”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 60A first adult DUI at .08% to .1% can bring up to 1 year in prison, a 30 to 180 day suspension and a $100 to $300 fine.
Source: Handbook p. 60
“BAC: 0.08% - 0.1% 1st violation - Misdemeanor Up to 1 year in prison 30 - 180 day license suspension $100 - $300 fine $500 highway safety assessment”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 60A third DUI within 5 years is a felony.
Source: Handbook p. 60
“3rd or subsequent violation (within a 5 year period) - Felony”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 60It is against the law for a driver of any age to drink alcohol while driving.
Source: Handbook p. 59
“IT IS AGAINST THE LAW FOR A DRIVER OF ANY AGE TO CONSUME AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE WHILE DRIVING.”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 59An underage driver carrying alcohol, opened or not, without a parent can lose their license for up to 30 days.
Source: Handbook p. 61
“and, knowingly having liquor or intoxicating beverages in any form in containers, opened or unopened, in any part of the vehicle, shall have his/her license suspended or his/her right to operate a motor vehicle denied for a period of not more than thirty (30) days”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 61Underage possession of alcohol brings a first offense fine of $150 to $750.
Source: Handbook p. 61
“shall be fined one hundred fifty dollars ($150) to seven hundred fifty dollars ($750) for the first offense”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 61Underage possession also brings at least a 60 day license suspension.
Source: Handbook p. 61
“shall be subject to a minimum sixty (60) day suspension of his or her driver’s license”
Rhode Island Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 61
Numbers to know
| Number | What it means | Manual |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months | suspension for a first refusal | Handbook p. 59 |
| $200 to $500 | fine for a first refusal | Handbook p. 59 |
| $500 | highway safety assessment for a refusal or DUI | Handbook p. 59 |
| 10 to 60 hours | community service for a first refusal | Handbook p. 59 |
| 5 years | window for counting repeat violations | Handbook p. 60 |
| 1 year | maximum prison for a first adult DUI | Handbook p. 60 |
| 30 to 180 days | suspension for a first DUI in the lowest BAC band | Handbook p. 60 |
| $100 to $300 | fine for a first DUI in the lowest BAC band | Handbook p. 60 |
| 0.08% to 0.1% | BAC band for the lowest first DUI penalties | Handbook p. 60 |
| 30 days | suspension for an underage driver transporting alcohol | Handbook p. 61 |
| $150 to $750 | first offense fine for underage possession | Handbook p. 61 |
| 60 days | minimum suspension for underage possession | Handbook p. 61 |
3 questions from the Rhode Island practice test
1. For a Rhode Island driver age 21 or older, which BAC range is listed under the first DUI violation?
- 0.02% to less than 0.05%
- 0.1% to 0.15% only
- 0.08% to 0.1%
- 0.15% or above only
Show answer
0.08% to 0.1%. The adult DUI table begins its first violation category at a BAC of 0.08% to 0.1%. The choice “0.02% to less than 0.05%” belongs to a lower concentration and does not identify this adult DUI category. The two higher ranges are separate penalty bands with different listed consequences, not the opening range. A useful study cue is to separate the adult table by BAC bands before comparing suspension periods, fines, or community service requirements.
2. Which assessment does the Rhode Island manual specifically list among the chemical test refusal penalties?
- $500 highway safety assessment
- $150 community restitution assessment
- $300 road test assessment
- $86 ignition assessment
Show answer
$500 highway safety assessment. The refusal consequences include a highway safety assessment, along with the fine, community service, and education or treatment response described in the manual. The $150 amount belongs to a different under-18 impaired-driving entry, and the other choices combine unrelated charges or invent a road-test fee. Focus on the category named in the prose: the assessment is part of the refusal penalty package, not a routine licensing charge or an ignition-device fee.
3. How does Rhode Island law classify an adult's second chemical test refusal violation within a ten year period?
- A first-offense civil warning
- A misdemeanor, because it falls within the ten year period
- A license renewal issue with no violation class
- A felony only when the refusal follows a crash
Show answer
A misdemeanor, because it falls within the ten year period. Rhode Island's refusal statute now counts prior violations over a ten year period. A second refusal violation within ten years is a misdemeanor, with up to six months in jail, a fine of $600 to $1,000, 60 to 100 hours of community restitution, and a license suspension of one to two years. The driver's manual still prints a five year window, but the statute controls. The civil warning and renewal choices remove the violation class entirely, and the felony choice invents a crash condition the law does not use. Count back ten years from the new refusal when judging whether it is a repeat offense.
Practice this topic
Lock it in with alcohol and dui questions from the free Rhode Island practice test. Every answer comes with a plain English explanation.
Source: the Rhode Island Driver's Manual, X. Drinking and Driving. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.