You can refuse a breathalyzer in Cranston but doing so triggers Rhode Island's implied consent penalties under § 31-27-2.1: an automatic license suspension lasting 6 months for a first refusal, 1 year for a second, and 2 years for a third within a five-year period, plus a separate civil charge with fines and community service. The refusal is also admissible at trial as evidence of consciousness of guilt. Field sobriety tests (walk-and-turn, one-leg stand, horizontal gaze nystagmus) are different and can be declined without these penalties. Whether to refuse the breathalyzer is a strategic call that depends on prior record and circumstances.
