DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Lee’s Summit, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Lee’s Summit, MO. If you have been arrested for DWI/DUI near Lee’s Summit, MO, you’re facing more than just criminal charges—you’re also at risk of losing your driver’s license. The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) initiates an automatic suspension or revocation of your license following a DWI arrest, but you have the right to challenge this action through an administrative hearing.

Time is critical—you have just 15 days from your arrest to request a hearing. Don’t delay. Protect your driving privileges in Lee’s Summit, MO and beyond by calling a trusted DWI administrative hearing lawyer at Combs Waterkotte right away. Call (314) 900-HELP or contact us online to schedule a confidential consultation and let one of our experienced Lee’s Summit, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys build a powerful defense for your case.

What is a DWI Administrative Hearing in Lee’s Summit, MO and Across Missouri?

A DWI administrative hearing is not a criminal trial—it’s a civil proceeding that determines where your driver’s license will be suspended or revoked after a DWI arrest in Lee’s Summit, MO. If you don’t request this hearing, your suspension takes effect automatically, and you lose the chance to contest it.

During the hearing, key factors that will be reviewed include:

• Did the officer have reasonable grounds to stop you?
• Were you driving while impaired?
• Did you refuse a breath or blood test?

A successful hearing outcome could mean keeping your license and avoiding further penalties. However, if the DOR finds that all elements are met and supported by a preponderance of evidence, your license will be suspended or revoked, depending on prior offenses or test refusals.

Understanding Missouri’s License Suspension & Revocation Penalties

The consequences of an administrative hearing suspension depend on your record in Lee’s Summit, MO and beyond:

• First DWI/DUI Offense: Results in a 90-day suspension, with eligibility for a Restricted Driving Privilege in the Lee’s Summit, MO area after 30 days.
• Second DWI/DUI Offense: Comes with a 1-year revocation, or 5-year license denial if the previous offense was within 5 years.
• Refusing a Chemical Test: This results in a 1-year licence revocation under Missouri’s implied consent law, and means you are ineligible for a hardship license for 90 days.

With such a low burden of proof—the state only needs to prove it’s more likely than not that you were intoxicated—facing this process alone is a serious risk. Losing your license can affect your job, daily responsibilities, and overall mobility in Lee’s Summit, MO.

The Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing team has over 40 years of experience and has successfully handled more than 10,000 cases just like yours in Lee’s Summit, MO and across Missouri. Contact a skilled DWI administrative hearing lawyer in Lee’s Summit, MO now to discuss the specifics of your case and get expert legal advice and guidance on next steps.

Securing a Limited Driving Privilege (Hardship License) in Lee’s Summit, MO

If your driving privilege is suspended, revoked, or denied, you may be eligible for a Limited Driving Privilege (LDP) in Lee’s Summit, MO. You will most likely need to have an SR-22 insurance form on file and an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) installed on your vehicle. If granted after 30 days following your 15-day administrative hearing period, the LDP allows you to drive in specific situations, such as:

• Attending a Substance Awareness Traffic Offender Program (SATOP) or other treatment programs
• Visiting an IID provider for required maintenance or installation
• Commuting for work or business-related activities
• Seeking medical care
• Attending school or higher education programs
• Any other circumstance the court determines would cause undue hardship

The LDP application process in Missouri can be complex, but working with an experienced Lee’s Summit, MO DWI attorney can help you regain your driving privileges as quickly as possible.

The Importance of Hiring a Lee’s Summit, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer

Having a skilled DWI administrative hearing attorney in Lee’s Summit, MO can make the difference between keeping your license and facing a suspension. Our DWI/DUI defense lawyers know how to challenge procedural errors and legal flaws in your Lee’s Summit, MO case, and if the DOR fails to prove even one of the above required elements, your suspension can be overturned.

For a suspension to proceed, you must have been under arrest at the time of the breathalyzer or blood test, and that arrest must have been based on probable cause that you were operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. (This is why the Combs Waterkotte Lee’s Summit, MO DWI/DUI defense team suggests that you refuse these tests, along with any field sobriety test, as law enforcement only conducts these tests to establish probable cause.)

However, delays between the alleged driving and the first police encounter can weaken this argument, making it difficult to prove you were intoxicated while actually behind the wheel. Missouri law mandates that all breath and blood tests adhere to strict state regulations, including:

• Routine maintenance of testing devices every 35 days
• The operator collecting the sample be properly certified
• The machine used must be approved under state regulations
• Calibration samples meet specific regulatory standards
• The machine functions within precise limits regarding temperature and accuracy

If any of these procedures were not followed, your BAC results may be inadmissible, which can significantly strengthen your case. Our Lee’s Summit, MO legal team conducts thorough investigations into testing equipment, maintenance records, and law enforcement procedures to find potential grounds for dismissing or reducing your suspension.

How to Appeal a Lee’s Summit, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Decision

A license suspension or revocation after a DWI administrative hearing is not necessarily final—you can appeal the DOR’s decision by filing an appeal in the Lee’s Summit, MO circuit court within 15 days of the ruling. This appeal must be submitted in the circuit court of the county where your arrest occurred, and the DOR must be officially served with notice of the appeal. A Lee’s Summit, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer from Combs Waterkotte can guide you through the process and represent you in court to get the best possible outcome.

Once the appeal is filed, the case moves to a de novo hearing—meaning the Lee’s Summit, MO circuit court will conduct an entirely new review of the evidence, without relying on the DOR’s previous decision. Unlike administrative hearings, circuit appeals allow live witness testimony, providing our Lee’s Summit, MO DWI/DUI lawyers an opportunity to present a stronger defense for your case.

It is important to note though, that filing an appeal does not automatically pause your suspension or revocation. In fact, your penalty could go into effect before the appeal hearing occurs meaning you may not be able to drive until the Lee’s Summit, MO circuit court rules on your case. If the court ultimately determines that there was insufficient evidence for the suspension or revocation, your driving privileges may be reinstated but this ruling would come only after a period of restricted or suspended driving.

If you partner with a Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyer in or around Lee’s Summit, MO, you aren’t just hiring a top-rated DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in Lee’s Summit, MO and beyond – you’re safeguarding your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. Along with knowledgeable DWI administrative hearing lawyers, our legal team is available 24/7 and offers expertise in the following areas for residents in Lee’s Summit and beyond:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney
• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney

Act Now—Speak with a Lee’s Summit, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Today to Keep Your Driving Privileges

A DWI/DUI arrest in Lee’s Summit, MO doesn’t just mean criminal charges—it puts your driver’s license at immediate risk. You have only 15 days to request a DWI administrative hearing, or else your license suspension or revocation will go into immediate effect—with no option to appeal. Act fast to hire a Lee’s Summit, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer to give yourself the best chance at keeping your driving privileges.

Call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP or reach out online for a no-obligation case review where we can get to work on a defense to get you the best possible outcome in Lee’s Summit, MO.