The Arizona Field Sobriety Tests

There are six field sobriety tests and a portable breath test device that police officers typically use to start gathering evidence against you. Most of the field sobriety tests, test your agility and your ability to complete multiple tasks at the same time (divided attention tests).

Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus

Usually using a pen, the officer will ask you to stand with your feet together, have you remove your glasses (if you are wearing any), and tell you to follow the pen with your eyes without moving your head. Nystagmus is an involuntary twitching of the eyeball. During this test the officer is looking to see:

If your eyes follow the pen smoothly
If you have a nystagmus when your eyes are looking all the way to the sides
If you have a nystagmus prior to your eye being 45 degrees from center
If you sway while standing
If you have trouble understanding the instructions.

Walk and Turn

The officer will instruct you to stand on a line with your right foot in front of your left foot and your hands at your side. He will then tell you not to move until you are instructed to do so. He will inform you that when he says to start, with your hands at your side you are to take 9 heel to toe steps while counting out loud and looking at your feet. After nine steps you are to turn pivoting on only one foot, then do 9 heel to toe steps back. During this test, the officer is looking to see:

If you cannot keep your balance while listening to the instructions
If you start before he is done giving instructions
If you stop while walking
If you do not touch heel to toe
If you step off the line
If you raise your arms more than 6 inches
If you lose your balance
If you turn improperly
If you take the incorrect number of steps

One Leg Stand

The officer will instruct you to stand with your feet together and your arms at your side. He will then tell you to raise one foot 6 inches above the ground, look at your foot, and count. He will test you for 30 seconds. During this test, the officer is looking to see:

If you sway while balancing
If you use your arms to balance
If you hop
If you put your foot down before the test is completed

Romberg Modified

The officer will instruct you to keep your feet together, put your arms at your side, close your eyes, and tilt your head back. Then he will instruct you to either count or say the alphabet backwards. During this test, the officer is looking to see:

If you require additional instructions during the test
If you open your eyes
If you fail to keep your feet together
If you fail to keep your head tilted back
If you sway while balancing
If there is an error in the alphabet or the counting

Finger to Nose

The officer will instruct you to keep your feet together and put your arms at your side. He will then instruct you to make a fist, point with your index finger, close your eyes, and tilt your head back. Then he will instruct you to touch the tip of your finger to the tip of your nose. (He may or may not tell you that tip of the finger means the very end of the finger and not the pad of your finger. Regardless, if you get this wrong, he will count it against you.) During this test the officer is looking to see: