How many times will an officer conduct an SFST on a suspect?

• A. Twice
• B. Once
• C. Three times
• D. Four times

Answer: (A)

SFSTs are a standardized set of roadside tests used to assess impairment, and they’re typically administered in two phases. The officer conducts the tests first during the initial roadside encounter to gather immediate observations of impairment. If the investigation continues toward arrest, the same set of tests is performed again during processing or after transport to confirm and corroborate those observations under slightly different conditions. This two-step approach helps ensure the findings are reliable and minimizes the impact of temporary factors like nerves or the environment. So, the standard expectation is that the tests are conducted twice. One time wouldn’t provide the needed corroboration, and doing them more than twice isn’t part of the typical procedure.