DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer O’Fallon, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer O’Fallon, MO. A DWI/DUI arrest in O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys who can fight for your driving privileges and build a strong defense for your case in O’Fallon, MO.

What is a DWI Administrative Hearing in O’Fallon, MO and Across Missouri?

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

At the hearing, the following key elements are evaluated:

• Did law enforcement have reasonable grounds to stop you?
• Were you driving 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.

Missouri License Suspension & Revocation Consequences

The outcome of an administrative hearing depends on your driving history in O’Fallon and across 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 O’Fallon 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 O’Fallon, 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.

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 O’Fallon, MO.

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

How to Get a Limited Driving Privilege (Hardship License) in O’Fallon, MO

If you’re facing a license suspension, revocation, or denial in O’Fallon, 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

The LDP application process in Missouri can be complex, but working with an experienced O’Fallon, MO DWI attorney can help you regain your driving privileges as quickly as possible.

Why You Need a Relentless DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer in O’Fallon, MO

Our O’Fallon, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys can raise a variety of legal and procedural challenges in an administrative alcohol hearing, and the failure of the DOR to prove even one of the above elements can prevent your license suspension.

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 our O’Fallon, 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. 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
• Only state-approved testing devices may be used
• Calibration samples meet specific regulatory standards
• Testing machine must function within state’s precise limits regarding temperature and accuracy

If any of these procedures were not followed, your BAC results may be inadmissible, which can significantly strengthen your case. Our O’Fallon, MO legal team conducts thorough investigations into testing equipment, maintenance records, and law enforcement procedures to find potential grounds for dismissing or reducing your suspension.

How to Appeal a O’Fallon, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Decision

If your license has been suspended or revoked, you have the right to challenge the DOR’s decision by filing an appeal with the O’Fallon, MO circuit court within 15 days of the final ruling. This appeal must be filed in the circuit court of the O’Fallon, MO county where your arrest occurred, and the DOR must be formally served with notice of the appeal. A Combs Waterkotte O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO DWI/DUI lawyers an opportunity to present a stronger defense for your case.

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 O’Fallon, MO DWI administrative hearing lawyer, you’re not just choosing a top-rated DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in O’Fallon, MO and beyond – you’re protecting your license, your rights, your freedom, and your future. In addition to experienced DWI administrative hearing attorneys, our legal team is available 24/7 and offers expertise in the following areas for residents in O’Fallon and beyond:

• Drivers License Reinstatement Attorney

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

A DWI/DUI arrest in O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, 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 O’Fallon, MO.