A first driving while intoxicated (DWI) arrest can bring immediate concern about driving privileges and the consequences of a criminal charge. The pressure often intensifies when there is only limited time to contest a possible license suspension.
If you are facing a DWI charge, knowing what the notice means and acting within the stated period could help you preserve your driving privileges while your case proceeds.
What does the 15-day ALR deadline require?
After your arrest, the officer usually gives you Form DIC-25, which serves as the suspension notice and a temporary driving permit. You then have 15 calendar days to request an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) hearing and challenge the proposed suspension of your license. The ALR process addresses your driving privileges and is generally separate from the criminal DWI charge.
In Texas, the ALR process may apply when you refuse or intentionally fail to provide a requested breath or blood specimen or when a completed test shows an unlawful alcohol concentration. The deadline runs from the date you receive notice, which is often the arrest date. However, if the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) later mails notice after receiving blood-test results, you have 20 days from the mailing date to request a hearing.
How a timely request can preserve your driving privileges
Requesting a hearing on time may not guarantee that you will retain your license. However, it can delay the proposed suspension until an administrative law judge reviews the evidence. That added time may provide several practical protections. Some of them include:
- Continued driving authority: Your temporary permit normally expires 40 days after service of the notice. A timely filing usually lets you keep driving while you await the hearing.
- A chance to contest suspension: DPS generally must prove the findings required for suspension. If the agency does not meet that burden, the judge will prevent the proposed action from taking effect.
- Early review of evidence: The hearing may allow you or your attorney to examine records and question witnesses under oath. Their answers could reveal issues relevant to the criminal prosecution.
Missing the deadline generally means losing access to these potential benefits. DPS states that it will deny a late request, and the suspension typically begins on the 40th day after notice. For a driver age 21 or older whose record shows no qualifying alcohol- or drug-related enforcement contact during the previous 10 years, a failed test carries a 90-day suspension. A refusal results in a 180-day suspension under the same lookback rule.
Why an early response could shape your case
A first arrest often creates several legal and practical concerns at once. The short administrative timetable can add urgency because the criminal court schedule does not pause it.
Meeting that separate deadline may require you to identify when the notice period began and submit your hearing request on time. An attorney familiar with DWI and ALR proceedings can assist with these tasks and assess the government’s evidence.