Daviess County, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Daviess County, MO. If you’ve been arrested for DWI/DUI in Daviess 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.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. You have only 15 days after your arrest to request this hearing. A Combs Waterkotte Daviess County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer can fight for your right to drive and build a strategic defense for your case. Call (314) 900-HELP or reach out online for a free consultation with one of our expert Daviess County, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys before the deadline passes.

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

A DWI administrative hearing is a civil proceeding separate from your criminal DWI case in Daviess County, MO. It determines whether the state has the right to suspend or revoke your driver’s license based on the circumstances of your arrest. If you don’t request this hearing within 15 days from your arrest date, your suspension goes into effect automatically without hearing your side.

At the hearing, the following key elements are evaluated:

• Did law enforcement have reasonable suspicion to stop you?
• Were you operating a vehicle while intoxicated?
• 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.

License Suspension & Revocation Penalties in Missouri

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

• First-Time DWI/DUI Offense: Results in a 90-day suspension, with eligibility for a Restricted Driving Privilege in the Daviess County, MO area after 30 days.
• Second DWI/DUI Offense: This means a 1-year license revocation and a possible 5-year license denial if your prior Daviess County, MO DWI/DUI was within the last 5 years.
• Refusal to Submit to 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 Daviess County, MO.

With 40+ years of experience and 10,000+ cases successfully handled in Daviess 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 Daviess County, MO today to discuss your case and protect your driving future.

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

If you’re facing a license suspension, revocation, or denial in Daviess 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:

• 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 Daviess County, MO DWI lawyer as soon as possible to help improve your chances of approval.

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

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

A valid suspension requires that you were under arrest at the time of a breathalyzer or blood test and that the arresting officer had probable cause to believe you were intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle. (This is why our Daviess County, 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, 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:

• Machines must be serviced every 35 days
• Testing officers must have valid certification
• The machine used must be approved under state regulations
• Strict calibration and accuracy 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 Daviess County, MO experts, can uncover grounds to challenge the validity of the BAC reading.

Appealing a Missouri 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 with the Daviess County, MO circuit court within 15 days of the final ruling. This appeal must be filed in the circuit court of the Daviess County, MO county where your arrest occurred, and the DOR must be formally served with notice of the appeal. A Combs Waterkotte Daviess County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer can handle filing this appeal for you and represent you to get the best possible outcome.

Once the appeal is filed, the case moves to a de novo hearing—meaning the Daviess County, 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 Daviess County, 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 Daviess 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 choose a Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyer in or around Daviess County, MO, you aren’t just selecting a leading DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in Daviess County, MO and throughout Missouri – you are protecting your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. Along with knowledgeable DWI administrative hearing attorneys, our legal team is available 24/7 and provides expertise in the following areas for Daviess County, MO residents:

• 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 Daviess County, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Right Away to Keep Your Driving Privileges

A DWI/DUI arrest in Daviess 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 immediate effect—with no option to appeal. Act fast to hire a Daviess County, 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 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 Daviess County, MO.