DWI / DUI Lawyer in Massachusetts
A DWI or DUI charge threatens your license, your record, and sometimes your freedom. These cases need real defense work — evidence review, procedural challenges, and negotiation. Start with a consultation so an attorney can evaluate your specific case.
- 98%
- Win rate
- 5,000+
- Drivers helped
- $7M+
- Saved for drivers
- $1,422
- Avg. insurance savings
Ticket Takedown has a 98% win rate across more than 5,000 traffic ticket cases, saving drivers over $7M in fines and insurance increases.
How it works
- 1
Share your ticket
Upload your citation and basic details in minutes.
- 2
An attorney takes over
A licensed attorney reviews your case and walks you through your options.
- 3
Get updates until it's done
We keep you posted at every step — most cases end with a reduced or dismissed charge.
What a dwi / dui costs in Massachusetts
| Typical fine | $500–$5,000 fine first offense (plus fees, probation, and program costs) |
|---|---|
| License points | No license points — OUI carries its own RMV suspension scheme and a major SDIP surcharge |
| Insurance impact | An OUI conviction brings the SDIP's heaviest surcharge for up to six years and often assigned-risk placement. |
| License risk | 1-year license loss on a first conviction — commonly reduced to 45–90 days via the 24D first-offender disposition — plus an immediate 30-day suspension for a failed breath test and 180 days for a refusal under Melanie's Law. |
Frequently asked questions
Operating under the influence, MGL c.90 § 24: a criminal charge carrying up to 2.5 years in the house of correction, a $500–$5,000 fine, and a one-year license loss on a first conviction. Most first offenders who resolve the case do so through the 24D program, which shortens the suspension to 45–90 days with an alcohol-education course.
Under Melanie's Law, a first refusal triggers an immediate 180-day RMV suspension, separate from anything the criminal court does — a failed test triggers 30 days. The suspension appeal window is extremely short, which is why an attorney should look at your case within days of the arrest.
Because everything depends on the evidence: the stop, the field sobriety tests, the breath test's administration, and how your court handles 24D dispositions versus trials. A licensed Massachusetts attorney needs to review those specifics before advising you — that case review, not a quote, is the honest first step.
Massachusetts has one of the higher OUI trial rates in the country, and acquittals are far from rare — breath test reliability and field-sobriety subjectivity are litigated constantly. Whether trial or a 24D disposition is your better path is exactly what the consultation weighs.
The SDIP surcharge attaches to a conviction or responsible finding, not the arrest — one more reason the disposition matters enormously. A dismissal or acquittal keeps the surcharge off entirely.
Talk to us before you pay that ticket
Tell us about your case and we'll connect you with a licensed attorney who can evaluate your options — no obligation.
Request a free consultation