Attention Georgia Drivers: Unless you carefully read through the forms given to you after your driving under the influence (DUI) arrest, you may be unaware that you have only 10 days to submit a hearing request to the Department of Driver Services (DDS) in order to appeal your administrative license suspension. If you fail to submit the necessary documents before the 10-day deadline expires, your driving privileges may be suspended or revoked automatically for a substantial period of time.
There are two situations that may lead to an administrative license suspension: (1) you refuse to submit to the official breathalyzer test or (2) you take the breath test and your blood alcohol content (BAC) reading is over the legal limit. Please note that the BAC limit varies based on the motorist’s age or license type– .08% for drivers over 21, .02% for underage drivers, and .04% for commercial driver’s license holders who are arrested while operating their truck.
After your drunk-driving arrest, the officer probably provided you with a form that serves as both your 10-day warning and a temporary driving permit. If you don’t request a hearing in time, the DDS will suspended your license on the 30th day after your arrest.
Ensuring that your appeal letter is written correctly and submitted on time is extremely important; after all, the penalty for a first DUI offense could be a one-year license suspension. A DUI defense attorney can help you fill out the proper paperwork and obtain proof that your hearing request was sent in before the deadline.
Administrative license hearings are notoriously difficult to win; fortunately, with a skilled attorney on your side, you may increase your chances of a positive outcome. Your attorney can represent you during this hearing to contest your license suspension. In addition, the administrative license hearing is the first time that your lawyer will meet with the arresting officer, so this event may come in useful when preparing for the criminal trial.