Author: Ophelia Hollway
Practice area: drink driving offences
Ophelia is a Senior Associate and LIV Accredited Criminal Law Specialist at Doogue + George, appearing regularly as a solicitor advocate across Victorian courts and having practised exclusively in criminal law since admission. Her depth of experience in this area means clients receive accurate, considered advice.
View full profile →Ophelia authored this content and last revised it for accuracy on 6 August 2026.
What is the offence of Refuse Breath Test?
Refuse Breath Test is a drink driving offence under section 49(1)(c) of the Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic). It concerns non-compliance with a lawful roadside alcohol testing requirement and is treated seriously by Victorian courts due to its connection with road safety enforcement.
Key points
- Conduct involved: Refusing to undergo a preliminary breath test using a prescribed device when lawfully required.
- Court: Regularly heard in the Magistrates’ Court.
The maximum penalty for Refuse Breath Test is 12 penalty units ($2,509.20 as at 2026–27) (first offence); 120 penalty units ($25,092.00 as at 2026–27) or 12 months’ imprisonment (second offence); 180 penalty units ($37,638.00 as at 2026–27) or 18 months’ imprisonment (subsequent offence).
Common defences may include factual dispute about whether there was a refusal and whether the requirement was made within three hours of driving, being an occupant of, or being in charge of a motor vehicle.
Have you been charged with Refuse Breath Test? If yes, one of our experienced criminal defence lawyers can help you and answer your important questions. They can tell you what the likely penalties are, your prospects of successfully defending the charge, what you should do to prepare for Court.
Our lawyers have enormous experience in representing people charged with Refuse Breath Test. Our lawyers are best placed to give you realistic advice.
Police Interview
Normally with an allegation of Refuse Breath Test, the Police will conduct a field interview. Despite this, you are still given an opportunity to call a lawyer and receive legal advice. You should get in touch with one of our lawyers who can advise you on how to handle the interview. It is worth remembering that the Police will use anything you tell them to compile their case against you. The Police interview is not the time to explain your side of the story and hope the Police will realise they have made a mistake.
Pleading Not Guilty
A lot of the time, there the charge of Refuse Breath Test arises because of a misunderstanding. If you intend to plead not guilty to this charge, it is key that you get in touch with our firm to see one of our specialised lawyers. Our lawyers are pro-active and will consider if there is body worn camera footage that needs to be requested, if there is dash camera footage which needs to be protected or if there are potential witnesses who Police have not spoken to yet.
Pleading Guilty
If you decide to plead guilty to Refuse Breath Test, our lawyers can represent you at Court to get the best possible outcome. The charge of Refuse Breath Test carries mandatory penalties which the Magistrate must impose. However, the Magistrate does have discretion to increase your time off the road, the financial penalty and whether to record a conviction or not. Our lawyers will add value to your plea of guilty to Refuse Breath Test by distinguishing you from the many other people who appear before the Court pleading guilty to traffic offences.
The Magistrate you appear before can hear up to 20 to 30 pleas of guilty to driving offences on the same day that you appear in Court where they hear the same thing over and over. Our lawyers will prepare your case before the plea hearing so you have good material to present the Court.
Sentencing
Sentencing in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria
Source: Sentencing Advisory Council of Victoria (SACStat), Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic) s 49(1)(c) — 641 charges across 609 cases, Magistrates’ Court, 1 July 2020 – 30 June 2023.
| Sentencing outcome | % |
|---|---|
| Fine | 69.6% |
| Community Correction Order | 13.3% |
| Adjourned Undertaking | 9.7% |
| Imprisonment | 6.6% |
| Discharge/Dismissal | 0.8% |
| Other | 0.2% |
These figures indicate that imprisonment is possible but not the usual outcome. Most cases are resolved with financial penalties or community-based orders, depending on the circumstances of the offence and the offender’s prior driving history.
Which court will the case be heard in?
The charge of refusing a breath test drink driving is the sort of charge regularly heard in the Magistrates’ Court.
Examples of Refuse Breath Test
- You have a few drinks with your friends and drive home. On the way home, the police stop you and request that you undergo a breath test. You are aware that you’ll probably be over the legal limit, so you refuse.
What is the legal definition of Refuse Breath Test?
A person is guilty of an offence if he or she refuses to undergo a preliminary breath test in accordance with section 53 when required under that section to do so.
Legislation
The legislation for this offence can be found on section 49(1)(c) of Road Safety Act 1986.
Elements of the offence
To prove this charge, the Police must show that:
- The accused refused to undergo a preliminary breath test…
- By a prescribed device…
- In accordance with section 53.
Did you refuse to undergo a preliminary breath test?
A person required to undergo a preliminary breath test must do so by exhaling continuously into the device to the satisfaction of the police officer or the officer of the Corporation or of the Department.1
A person is not obliged to undergo a preliminary breath test if more than 3 hours have passed since the person last drove, was an occupant of or was in charge of a motor vehicle.2
Were you asked to undergo a breath test within 3 hours of driving?
Did you refuse to exhale into a prescribed device?
A person may be convicted under this section even if a prescribed device was not presented to them at the time they were requested to undergo the breath test, or a prescribed device was not available.
Was the request for the breath test made in accordance with section 53?
Under section 53 of the Road Safety Act 1986, a police officer may at any time require:
- any person he or she finds driving a motor vehicle or in charge of a motor vehicle; or
- the driver of a motor vehicle that has been required to stop, and remain stopped at a preliminary testing station under section 54(3); or
- any person who he or she believes on reasonable grounds has within the last 3 preceding hours driven or been in charge of a motor vehicle when it was involved in an accident; or
- any person who he or she believes on reasonable grounds was, within the last 3 preceding hours, an occupant of a motor vehicle when it was involved in an accident, if it has not been established to the satisfaction of the police officer which of the occupants was driving or in charge of the motor vehicle when it was involved in the accident…
…to undergo a preliminary breath test by a prescribed device.
Defences
Defences to this can be a factual dispute or that when the person was asked to undergo a preliminary breath test it more than 3 hours had passed since the person last drove, was an occupant of or was in charge of a motor vehicle.
You should ring us and discuss your case if you have been charged. Deciding on whether to plead guilty or not has important implications for you and should be made after proper discussions with a criminal lawyer.
Questions in cases like this
- Were you asked to undergo a preliminary breath test?
- Did you refuse?
- Was the request made within 3 hours of you being in charge of a motor vehicle?
Maximum penalty for section 49(1)(c) of the Road Safety Act 1986
There is a maximum penalty of 12 penalty units ($2,509.20 as at 2026–27) for anyone found guilty of refusing a breath test drink driving (s49(1)(c) of the Road Safety Act 1986) as a first offence; 120 penalty units ($25,092.00 as at 2026–27) or a 12 month imprisonment for a second offence and 180 penalty units ($37,638.00 as at 2026–27) or 18 months imprisonment for a subsequent offence.
New regulations that came into effect from 31 January 2018 mean that Victorian offenders will face Victorian driving penalties should they be caught interstate.
Other important resources
- SAC Statistics – Road Safety Act 1986 (Vic): s 49(1)(c) – refuse preliminary breath test
- Can a Person Refuse a Breathalyser Test? And Other Questions Related to Drink Driving
Case studies related to Refuse Breath Test
- Breaching County Court CCO
- Withdrawing Reckless Conduct Endangering Life and Serious Injury Charges
- Refuse Breath Test and Unlicensed Driving – Withdrawn
