Boone County, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Boone County, MO. If you’ve been arrested for DWI/DUI in Boone County, MO, your ability to drive is at stake. The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) will automatically suspend or revoke your license, but you have a limited window 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 Boone County, 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 Boone County, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys build a powerful defense for your case.

What is a DWI Administrative Hearing in Boone County, MO and Across Missouri?

A DWI administrative hearing is a separate civil process from your criminal case in Boone County, MO. This hearing determines whether the Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) can legally suspend or revoke your driver’s license based on your arrest. If you fail to request a hearing, your license suspension will take effect automatically—without giving you a chance to challenge it.

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

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

Winning your hearing means you keep your license and avoid further consequences. However, if the DOR determines that these elements are proven by a preponderance of evidence, your license suspension or revocation will be enforced according to state laws and prior offenses.

Understanding Missouri’s License Suspension & Revocation Penalties

If you’re facing a DWI administrative suspension, the penalties depend on your prior offenses in Boone County, MO or elsewhere in Missouri:

• First-Time DWI/DUI Offense: This results in a 90-day license suspension and you could be eligible for a Restricted Driving Privilege in Boone County after 30 days.
• Second DWI Offense: This means a 1-year license revocation and a possible 5-year license denial if your prior Boone County, MO DWI/DUI was within the last 5 years.
• Chemical Test Refusal: 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.

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 Boone County, MO.

With 40+ years of experience and 10,000+ cases successfully handled in Boone County and across Missouri, the Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing team is ready to fight for your rights. Reach out to a skilled DWI administrative hearing lawyer in Boone County, MO today to discuss your case and protect your driving future.

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

If you’re facing a license suspension, revocation, or denial in Boone County, MO, you might still be able to legally drive under specific circumstances with a Limited Driving Privilege (LDP). Eligibility often requires filing an SR-22 insurance certificate and installing an Ignition Interlock Device (IID). Once approved, an LDP—available after 30 days from the administrative hearing period—may allow you to drive for:

• Attending Substance Awareness Traffic Offender Program (SATOP) or other alcohol- or drug-treatment programs
• Seeking the required services of a certified IID provider
• A business, occupation, or employment
• Seeking medical treatment
• Attending school or other institution of higher education
• Any other circumstance the court finds would create an undue hardship

If you need to restore limited driving privileges, consult a knowledgeable Boone County, MO DWI lawyer as soon as possible to help improve your chances of approval.

The Importance of Hiring a Boone County, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer

Fighting a DWI license suspension in Boone County, MO requires legal experience and technical knowledge—our Boone County, 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 Boone County, 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:

• Testing machines be maintained every 35 days by a licensed technician
• Testing officers must have valid certification
• 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 Boone County, MO experts, can uncover grounds to challenge the validity of the BAC reading.

Appealing a Missouri DWI Administrative Hearing

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 Boone County, 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 Boone County, 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 it’s filed, the case moves to a de novo hearing, where the Boone County, 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 Boone County, 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 Boone County, 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 hire a Combs Waterkotte Boone County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer, you aren’t just selecting the ideal DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in and around Boone County, MO – you are protecting your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. In addition to esteemed DWI administrative hearing lawyers, our staff is available 24/7 and offers expertise in the following areas for residents in Boone County and beyond:

• Violent Crime Lawyer
• Drug Crimes Lawyer
• Gun Crime Lawyer
• Child Abuse & Neglect Lawyer
• Homicide Lawyer
• Assault Lawyer
• Rape Defense Lawyer

Don’t Wait—Contact a Boone County, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Right Away to Keep Your Driving Privileges

A DWI/DUI arrest in Boone County, 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 effect immediately—with no option to appeal. Act fast to get a Boone County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer on your side 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 free case review. Our legal team is ready to start building a strong defense and fight for the best possible outcome for your case in Boone County, MO.