DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Lebanon, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Lebanon, MO. If you have been arrested for DWI/DUI near Lebanon, 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.

You have only 15 days following your arrest to request this hearing. Don’t wait—protect your license by contacting a Lebanon, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer at Combs Waterkotte now. Call (314) 900-HELP or reach out online to schedule a free, confidential consultation with one of our expert Lebanon, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys who can fight for your driving privileges and build a strong defense for your case in Lebanon, MO.

Understanding DWI Administrative Hearings in Lebanon, MO

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 Lebanon, MO. If you don’t request this hearing, your suspension takes effect automatically, and you lose the chance to contest it.

During the hearing, the following elements are examined:

• Did law enforcement have reasonable suspicion to pull you over?
• 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.

Missouri License Suspension & Revocation Consequences

The consequences of an administrative hearing suspension depend on your record in Lebanon, MO and beyond:

• First DWI/DUI Offense: This results in a 90-day license suspension and you could be eligible for a Restricted Driving Privilege in Lebanon after 30 days.
• Second-Time DWI/DUI Offense: Leads to a 1-year revocation period in Lebanon, MO, or a 5-year license denial if the prior offense was within the past 5 years.
• Refusal to Submit to a Chemical Test: Missouri’s implied consent law enforces a 1-year revocation, and you cannot apply for a hardship license for 90 days.

Since the burden of proof is minimal—just proving it’s more likely than not that you were intoxicated—navigating this hearing alone could jeopardize your license, job, and daily freedom in and around Lebanon, 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 the Lebanon, MO area and across Missouri. Contact a skilled DWI administrative hearing lawyer in Lebanon, MO now to discuss the specifics of your case and get expert legal advice and guidance on next steps.

How to Get a Limited Driving Privilege (Hardship License) in Lebanon, MO

If your driving privilege is suspended, revoked, or denied, you may be eligible for a Limited Driving Privilege (LDP) in Lebanon, 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:

• Employment, business, or occupation-related travel
• Medical appointments and treatment
• School or higher education attendance
• Substance abuse programs, such as Substance Awareness Traffic Offender Program (SATOP)
• IID installation or maintenance visits
• Any additional hardship reasons approved by the court

If you need to restore limited driving privileges, consult a knowledgeable Lebanon, MO DWI lawyer now to help improve your chances of approval.

Why You Need a Lebanon, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer

Fighting a DWI license suspension in Lebanon, MO requires legal experience and technical knowledge—our Lebanon, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys have both. The DOR must prove specific legal elements to suspend your license, and if they fail to do so, you can keep your driving privileges.

For a license suspension to be upheld, the arresting officer must have had probable cause to believe you were operating a vehicle while intoxicated at the time of your breathalyzer or blood test. (This is why our Lebanon, MO DWI/DUI defense team suggests that you refuse these tests, along with any field sobriety test, as officers only conduct these tests to establish probable cause.)

However, in the event that you did take the test(s), significant time gaps between the alleged driving and the first law enforcement encounter can make it difficult to establish intoxication at the time of driving. Additionally, Missouri has strict regulations governing breath and blood testing procedures, including:

• Routine maintenance of testing devices every 35 days
• Proper certification of the testing officer
• Use of state-approved testing machines
• Calibration and accuracy must meet legal standards
• Testing machine must function within state’s precise limits regarding temperature and accuracy

Failure to meet any of these requirements can render a BAC result inadmissible, providing a strong defense against license suspension. A comprehensive review of the testing equipment, maintenance records, and procedural compliance, done by our Lebanon, MO experts, can uncover grounds to challenge the validity of the BAC reading.

Appealing the Decision of a Lebanon, MO DWI Administrative Hearing

If your license has been suspended or revoked, you have the right to challenge the DOR’s decision by filing an appeal in the Lebanon, MO circuit court within 15 days of the final ruling. This appeal must be submitted in the circuit court of the county where your arrest occurred, and the DOR must be officially notified of the appeal. Our Lebanon, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyers can handle the entire appeals process on your behalf to get the best possible outcome.

Once it’s filed, the case moves to a de novo hearing, where the Lebanon, MO circuit court will conduct a fresh review of the evidence without relying on or deferring to the DOR’s previous decision. And, unlike in an administrative hearing, circuit court appeals often allow live witness testimony providing our Lebanon, MO DWI/DUI attorneys to present a stronger defense.

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 Lebanon, 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.

When you partner with a Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyer in or around Lebanon, MO, you aren’t just choosing a leading DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in Lebanon, MO and beyond – you’re securing your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. Along with esteemed DWI administrative hearing attorneys, our staff is available 24/7 and offers expertise in the following areas for Lebanon, MO residents:

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

Act Now—Speak with a Lebanon, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Today to Keep Your Driving Privileges

A DWI/DUI arrest in Lebanon, 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 Lebanon, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer to give yourself the best chance at keeping your driving privileges.

Call Combs Waterkotte as soon as possible at (314) 900-HELP or contact us online for a no-obligation case review where we can get to work on a defense to get you the best possible outcome in Lebanon, MO.