DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Montgomery County, MO. A DWI/DUI arrest in Montgomery County, MO doesn’t just mean criminal charges—it also puts your driver’s license at immediate risk. The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) automatically moves to suspend or revoke your license in Montgomery County, MO, but you have the right to fight back and tell your side of the story 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys who can fight for your driving privileges and build a strong defense for your case in Montgomery County, MO.
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Montgomery County, MO DWI Administrative Hearings: What You Need to Know
A DWI administrative hearing is a civil proceeding separate from your criminal DWI case in Montgomery 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.
During the hearing, the following elements are examined:
- Did the officer have reasonable grounds to stop you?
- Were you driving while impaired?
- 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.
Missouri License Suspension & Revocation Consequences
If you’re facing a DWI administrative suspension, the penalties depend on your prior offenses in Montgomery County, MO or elsewhere in Missouri:
- First DWI/DUI Offense: Results in a 90-day suspension, with eligibility for a Restricted Driving Privilege in the Montgomery County, MO area after 30 days.
- Second-Time DWI/DUI Offense: This means a 1-year license revocation and a possible 5-year license denial if your prior Montgomery County, MO DWI/DUI was within the last 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 Montgomery County, MO.
The Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyers have over 40 years of experience, successfully handling 10,000+ cases like yours in Montgomery County, MO and across Missouri. Contact us right away to fight for your driving privileges and get the legal defense you need in Montgomery County, MO.
Securing a Limited Driving Privilege (Hardship License) in Montgomery County, MO
If you licenses has been suspended, revoked, or denied, you might qualify for a Limited Driving Privilege (LDP) in Montgomery County, MO. To be eligible, you’ll likely need to file an SR-22 insurance form and install an Ignition Interlock Device (IID) on your vehicle. After 30 days from your 15-day administrative hearing period, an LDP may allow you to drive under specific conditions, like:
- 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
If you need to restore limited driving privileges, consult a knowledgeable Montgomery County, MO DWI lawyer as soon as possible to help improve your chances of approval.
Montgomery County Resources
Below are quick links to important websites that may assist you with your legal matters in Montgomery County and Missouri.
Why You Need a Relentless DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer in Montgomery County, MO
Fighting a DWI license suspension in Montgomery County, MO requires legal experience and technical knowledge—our Montgomery 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 the Combs Waterkotte Montgomery 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, 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. 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 samples meet specific regulatory 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 Montgomery 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 in the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyers can handle the entire appeals process on your behalf to get the best possible outcome.
The appeal moves to a de novo hearing, where the Montgomery County, MO circuit court reviews all evidence from scratch rather than relying on the DOR’s original decision. Unlike the initial administrative hearing, circuit court appeals allow live witness testimony, giving our Montgomery County, MO DWI/DUI lawyers an opportunity to present a stronger, more detailed 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 Montgomery 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 partner with a Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyer in or around Montgomery County, MO, you aren’t just hiring a leading DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in Montgomery County, MO and beyond – you’re protecting your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. In addition to esteemed DWI administrative hearing attorneys, our staff is available 24/7 and offers expertise in the following areas for residents in Montgomery County and beyond:
Act Now—Speak with a Montgomery County, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Today to Keep Your Driving Privileges
A DWI/DUI arrest in Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, 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 free case review. Our Montgomery County, MO DWI defense team is ready to fight for you and build a strong case to protect your future.

