[partyman66]

Sounds like the states that you guys live in have relatively lax DUI laws.

I have 2 close friends who have gotten DUI's in Massachusetts, and both of them lost their license for at least 6 months. I guess the way the law works right now for a first time offense(In Massachusetts), is that you lose your license for 1 year if you fail a breathalyzer. But.. if you know that you're definitely drunk when they go to test you, you're supposed to decline to take the breathalyzer... resulting in a mandatory 6 month license suspension and no record of the offense going into your drivers history. You can decline to take the test anytime you want(even if you've had nothing to drink)... meaning you get your license suspended for that 6 month period, regardless.

A DUI stays on your record here, whereas a suspension for declining the test does not go on your record supposedly. I think a DUI might also be considered a criminal offense as well.

I can't vouch for how accurate this info is regardling the law, but this is what the people I know have told me based on their experiences in Massachusetts.