Union, MO

DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer Union, MO. If you’ve been arrested for DWI/DUI in Union, 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 Union, 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 Union, MO DWI/DUI defense attorneys build a powerful defense for your case.

Union, MO DWI Administrative Hearings: What You Need to Know

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

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

• Did the officer have reasonable grounds to pull you over?
• 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.

License Suspension & Revocation Penalties in Missouri

The outcome of an administrative hearing depends on your driving history in Union and across Missouri:

• First DWI Offense: Results in a 90-day suspension, with eligibility for a Restricted Driving Privilege in the Union, MO area after 30 days.
• Second DWI Offense: Comes with a 1-year revocation, or 5-year license denial if the previous offense was within 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 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 Union, MO, and freedom to drive.

The Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyers have over 40 years of experience, successfully handling 10,000+ cases like yours in Union, MO and across Missouri. Contact us right away to fight for your driving privileges and get the legal defense you need in Union, MO.

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

If you licenses has been suspended, revoked, or denied, you might qualify for a Limited Driving Privilege (LDP) in Union, 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:

• 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 Union, MO DWI lawyer now to help improve your chances of approval.

The Importance of Hiring a Union, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer

Fighting a DWI license suspension in Union, MO requires legal experience and technical knowledge—our Union, 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 the Combs Waterkotte Union, 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:

• Routine maintenance of testing devices every 35 days
• The operator collecting the sample be properly certified
• 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 Union, MO DWI experts has a proven track record of helping clients throughout Missouri keep their licenses.

Appealing the Decision of a Union, MO 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 Union, 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 Union, 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 Union, 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 Union, MO DWI/DUI attorneys to present a stronger defense.

Keep in mind that filing an appeal does not automatically stop your suspension or revocation. Your license penalty could take effect before the court hears your case, meaning you may be unable to drive while waiting for a ruling. If the circuit court determines that the DOR lacked sufficient evidence to suspend your license, your driving privileges may be restored, but only after serving part of your suspension.

When you choose a Combs Waterkotte DWI administrative hearing lawyer in or around Union, MO, you’re not just choosing the ideal DWI administrative hearing lawyer lawyer in Union, MO and throughout Missouri – 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 Union and beyond:

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

Time is Running Out—Get a Union, MO DWI Administrative Hearing Lawyer on Your Side to Keep Your Driving Privileges

A DWI/DUI arrest in Union, 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 Union, 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 reach out online for a no-obligation case review where we can get to work on a defense to get you the best possible outcome in Union, MO.