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Ohio driving lesson · Insurance, OVI & Penalties

ALS suspensions, OVUAC & repeat OVI

A 2-minute lesson from the Ohio course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
2 minutes
Course unit
Insurance, OVI & Penalties
Checkpoint questions
6
Source pages
28

How long you lose your license after an OVI arrest depends on two things: whether you refused the test or failed it, and how many prior refusals or OVI/drug convictions you have in the past 10 years.

Know the rule

ALS length depends on the number of previous test refusals or OVI/drug convictions within the prior 10 years.

Handbook p. 28 ↗

ALS — refusal to test

ALS — refusal to test
RecordSuspension
First refusal1 year
One prior refusal or OVI/drug conviction2 years
Two priors3 years
Three or more priors5 years
Handbook p. 28 ↗

ALS — testing over the limit

ALS — testing over the limit
RecordSuspension
First test over the limit3 months (90 days)
One prior OVI/drug conviction1 year
Two prior OVI/drug convictions2 years
Three or more prior convictions3 years
Handbook p. 28 ↗

OVUAC

Operating a Vehicle after Underage Alcohol Consumption — the offense for drivers under 21.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
3 months – 2 years

License suspension range for an OVUAC

Handbook p. 28 ↗

An OVUAC may also require you to:

  • Take a remedial driving course
  • Pay reinstatement fees
  • Retake the Driver License examination
  • Serve jail time
Handbook p. 28 ↗

Five or more OVI convictions in the preceding 20 years brings:

  • Jail time
  • Possible immobilization or forfeiture of the vehicle
  • Placement on Ohio's Habitual OVI/OMVI Offender Registry
Handbook p. 28 ↗

Put it into practice

A driver with one prior OVI conviction in the last 10 years refuses the chemical test. The refusal table applies: one prior means a 2-year suspension. Had they tested over the limit instead, it would be 1 year.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

What is the ALS suspension length for a first offense of testing over the BAC limit?
  1. 90 days
  2. 30 days
  3. 6 months
  4. 1 year

Answer: 90 days

A first test-over-the-limit offense results in a 90-day (three-month) license suspension.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
What is the ALS suspension length for a first-time refusal to test?
  1. 90 days
  2. 1 year
  3. 6 months
  4. 2 years

Answer: 1 year

A first refusal to submit to a chemical test carries a one-year license suspension.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
A driver has two prior OVI convictions and refuses a chemical test on a third arrest. What is the ALS suspension length?
  1. Eighteen months
  2. Two years
  3. Three years
  4. Five years

Answer: Three years

Two prior refusals or OVI/drug convictions before a refusal result in a three-year suspension.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
What is the suspension range for Operating a Vehicle after Underage Alcohol Consumption (OVUAC)?
  1. 1 year to 5 years
  2. 6 months to 1 year
  3. 30 days to 6 months
  4. 3 months to 2 years

Answer: 3 months to 2 years

An OVUAC conviction can result in a license suspension of three months to two years.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
A driver convicted of OVI five or more times in 20 years may be placed on Ohio's Habitual OVI Offender Registry.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Five or more OVI convictions in 20 years can result in jail time, vehicle forfeiture, and placement on the Habitual OVI Registry.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
A driver has one prior OVI conviction and now tests over the BAC limit again. What is the ALS suspension?
  1. 1 year
  2. 90 days
  3. 2 years
  4. 3 years

Answer: 1 year

One prior OVI/drug conviction before a test-over-limit offense results in a one-year ALS suspension.

Handbook p. 28 ↗
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