Administrative Suspension Hearing

Reinstate Driving Privileges in South Carolina

Criminal Defense DUI Lawyer Bubba Cromer can help you win back your driving privileges, while your DUI case is pending. If you’ve lost your driving privileges from a DUI arrest in Greater Columbia, S.C. (and you are awaiting trial), it is possible to plea for a temporary reinstatement while your case is pending. This plea is made by requesting a DUI Administrative Suspension Hearing from the Department of Motor Vehicles. This must be requested within 30 days of the date or your arrest.

An Administrative Hearing is required to win provisional driving privileges if:

• You refused a breathalyzer test. When a driver refuses to take a breathalyzer test, his or her license is automatically suspended for 90 days on a first DUI offense arrest and 180 days for a second (or subsequent) DUI offense.
• Your blood alcohol content (BAC) registered .15 or higher. A BAC of .15 or higher results in an automatic driver’s license suspension for 30 days if you’ve been arrested for a first DUI offense and 60 days for a second (or subsequent) offense.

Learn more about Driver’s license suspensions for DUI convictions

A Temporary Alcohol License

If you do request an Administrative Hearing to reinstate your driving privileges, you may get a temporary alcohol license that permits you to drive while awaiting outcome of the Administrative Hearing. Bubba Cromer will go to the Administrative Hearing for you, and if he is successful, your driving privileges will be reinstated. If your request is denied, you may be able to obtain a work- or education-restricted license.

If you have any questions about this process so far, contact us .

Why Bubba Cromer DUI Lawyer Recommends Hearing Requests

An administrative suspension hearing will additionally allow you to subpoena the arresting officer to get his or her version of events. This locks the officer into testimony about what he saw, where he saw it, how the field sobriety tests were conducted, and hopefully, details of your conduct indicating that you were not impaired such as your ability to walk and talk.

At this hearing you may challenge whether:

• proper notice about alternate test options was given,
• the “Informing the Accused” was read,
• there was probable cause to make the arrest based on your conduct.

This hearing takes place at the Office of Motor Vehicles with a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) employee residing as “hearing examiner.” The designated examiner has the authority to preside over and decide your hearing.

If the officer does not show after notice, the Administrative Suspension is vacated, and you may continue to drive with your regular license while your DUI case is pending, according to the regulations of the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings.