Ohio OVI: Consequences and Traffic Stop Guidelines

Second and subsequent offenses carry increasingly harsh penalties, including mandatory prison time, vehicle forfeiture, and extended license suspensions up to life.

⊕ DO:
• Remain calm and courteous
• Keep hands visible on the steering wheel
• Provide license, registration, and insurance when requested
• Follow lawful orders from officers
• Remember that silence is your right
• Before you take or refuse a breath, blood, or urine test, you have the right to speak to an attorney. Call us for a free consultation.

⊗ DON’T:
• Admit to drinking or drug use
• Perform field sobriety tests (these are voluntary in Ohio)
• Argue with officers or become combative
• Consent to vehicle searches without a warrant

You have the right to remain silent beyond providing identification. Field sobriety tests are voluntary, though refusal may be noted. Under Ohio’s implied consent law, refusing chemical testing at the station results in automatic license suspension, but this may be preferable to providing evidence of intoxication.