How long is the suspension if I refused the breath test?

A first refusal carries a twelve-month administrative suspension. A second or subsequent refusal carries eighteen months.

The difference that matters more than the length: hardship eligibility. A first refusal is generally eligible for a business-purposes-only license. A second or subsequent refusal is not. That's eighteen months without any driving privilege at all, which for most people is the more serious consequence.

Since October 2025, the refusal also carries criminal exposure — a second-degree misdemeanor for a first, first-degree for a second or subsequent. The suspension and the criminal charge run independently, and resolving one doesn't resolve the other.

Note that the enhancement to eighteen months can attach based on a prior administrative suspension for refusal or a prior fine for refusing after a boating-under-the-influence arrest. A prior DUI conviction isn't required.