DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Franklin County, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Franklin County, MO. If you have been arrested for DWI/DUI near Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys who can fight for your driving privileges and build a strong defense for your case in Franklin County, MO.

Understanding DWI Administrative Hearings in Franklin County, MO

A DWI administrative hearing is a separate civil process from your criminal case in Franklin 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 law enforcement have reasonable grounds to pull you over?
• Were you driving a vehicle while intoxicated?
• Did you refuse a breath or blood test?

Winning the hearing can mean keeping your license and avoiding additional penalties. If the DOR determines that the three above questions are affirmatively answered and proven by a preponderance of evidence, your license will be suspended or revoked based on any prior offenses or test refusal.

Understanding Missouri’s License Suspension & Revocation Penalties

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

• First DWI/DUI Offense: This results in a 90-day license suspension and you could be eligible for a Restricted Driving Privilege in Franklin County after 30 days.
• Second DWI/DUI Offense: This means a 1-year license revocation and a possible 5-year license denial if your prior Franklin 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 standard of proof—essentially the prosecution must show that there is a greater than 50 percent chance that you were intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle— trying to handle this hearing alone is a risk. These penalties can impact your employment, daily responsibilities in Franklin County, MO, and freedom to drive.

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

Securing a Limited Driving Privilege (Hardship License) in Franklin County, MO

If you’re facing a license suspension, revocation, or denial in Franklin 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 Franklin County, MO DWI lawyer now to help improve your chances of approval.

Why You Need a Relentless DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer in Franklin County, MO

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

Our attorneys closely examine the details of your arrest and testing procedures, looking for flaws such as time gaps between driving and law enforcement contact. Also, Missouri law mandates strict compliance with Department of Health and Senior Services regulations regarding breath and blood testing procedures. These regulations require that:

• Routine maintenance of testing devices every 35 days
• Proper certification of the testing officer
• 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 requirements were not met, we can challenge the BAC results, which could lead to the dismissal of your suspension. Our team of Franklin County, MO DWI experts has a proven track record of helping clients throughout Missouri keep their licenses.

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 in the Franklin County, 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 Franklin County, 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 Franklin 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 Franklin County, MO DWI/DUI attorneys to present a stronger defense.

However, it’s important to understand that filing an appeal does not automatically delay your suspension or revocation. Your driving privileges may still be affected before the appeal hearing occurs, meaning you could be unable to drive until the court makes its ruling. If the court ultimately finds insufficient evidence to uphold the suspension, your license can be reinstated, but only after you have already served part of your suspension.

When you partner with a Combs Waterkotte Franklin County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer, you aren’t just hiring a leading DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in and around Franklin County, MO – you’re securing your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. Along with knowledgeable DWI administrative hearing lawyers, our legal team is available 24/7 and provides expertise in the following areas for residents in Franklin County and beyond:

• Careless Imprudent Driving Attorneys
• Weapons Crime Attorney
• Violent Crime Lawyer

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

If you’ve been arrested for DWI/DUI in Franklin County, MO, the clock is ticking on your right to fight for your license. Missing the 15-day deadline on an administrative hearing means automatic suspension or revocation with no way to appeal. You need a Franklin County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer on your side right now to protect your driving privileges and fight for your future.

Call Combs Waterkotte today at (314) 900-HELP or reach out online for a no-obligation case review. Our legal team is ready to start building a strong defense and fight for the best possible outcome for your case in Franklin County, MO.