Operating under the influence penalties — Massachusetts Permit Test
Operating under the influence penalties on the Massachusetts permit test — 5 rules, each with the reason behind it and a question on it while it is fresh.
The rules
A first conviction for operating under the influence brings a fine of $500 to $5,000, up to 2 1/2 years in prison, and a one year license suspension.
The first offense is already a year off the road. Nothing about it is a warning.
First Offense $500–$5,000 Maximum 2 1/2 years One Year
A second conviction for operating under the influence brings a two year license suspension.
It doubles, and so does the fine. The steps in this chart get bigger each time rather than smaller.
Second Offense $600–$10,000 Minimum 30 days Two years
A third conviction for operating under the influence is a felony and brings an eight year license suspension.
The third one changes what kind of offense it is, not just how long the suspension runs.
Third Offense $1,000–$15,000 Minimum 150 days Eight years
A fifth conviction for operating under the influence brings a lifetime license suspension.
The chart has an end, and this is it. There is no reinstatement fee listed because there is no reinstatement.
Fifth Offense $2,000–$50,000 Minimum Two years Lifetime
A driver aged 18 to 21 can have the extra 180-day suspension waived on a first case by entering a Department of Public Health approved alcohol education program.
The course is the way out of the extra six months. It has to be a program the Department of Public Health approves, not any class.
If this is your first operating under the influence case, the 180-day suspension can be waived upon entry into a Department of Public Health (DPH) approved alcohol education program.
On the test
What is the license suspension for a first operating under the influence conviction?
One year. The first offense is already a year off the road. Nothing about it is a warning. Massachusetts Driver's Manual, p.68: “First Offense $500–$5,000 Maximum 2 1/2 years One Year”
How this works
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Learning one rule at a time, and proving it immediately, is what turns a manual you skimmed into something you actually know — and it makes studying feel like getting somewhere rather than like waiting to find out.
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All Massachusetts permit topics
Where these come from
Every rule here is checked against Massachusetts Driver's Manual, published by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, and against the state code itself. Last checked 2026-09-16.
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/MA.pdf (Massachusetts Driver's Manual, Revised April 2026, Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, retrieved 2026-09-14 from mass.gov)
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/MA.pages.txt (pdftotext -layout over that PDF; sha256 pinned in SOURCES.json)
- src/assets/drivers-manuals/SOURCES.json (sha256, folio offset 8, folioMarker, nonLawPages, signGalleryPages and the extraction flag, each with its measured basis)