If a person, without reasonable excuse, fails to give permission for a lab test of a specimen, what is the offence?

• A. An offence
• B. A civil matter
• C. An administrative warning
• D. A minor penalty

Answer: (A)

Refusing to provide a specimen for a lab test when a police officer lawfully requires it is a criminal offence. The law gives officers the power to require tests to determine alcohol or drug impairment, and if someone fails or refuses to supply a sample without a reasonable excuse, they commit an offence. This is why the correct answer is that it is an offence. It isn’t a civil matter, an administrative warning, or a minor penalty—the act of not complying with a lawful testing demand is treated as criminal, with penalties that reflect the seriousness of driving-related impairment. The only thing that can change the outcome is showing a genuine reasonable excuse for why the test wasn’t provided.