A breathalyzer refusal in Rhode Island stays on your driving record permanently unless successfully challenged or expunged. The refusal is treated as a civil rather than criminal matter for some purposes but it generates a permanent DMV record. Subsequent refusals within five years carry escalating penalties (1 year suspension for second refusal, 2 years for third). Insurance companies treat refusals as priorable for premium calculation purposes. Expungement of the refusal record may be possible after the underlying civil case is resolved and a statutory waiting period passes, but the rules are different from criminal expungement and require specific legal procedure.
