Administrative License Revocation
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Administrative License Revocation or ALR is a little known consequence of driving while intoxicated in the state of Texas. DWI is punishable under the traffic laws of Texas through DWI offense penalties as well as an ALR charge. The ALR charge is different from the DWI penalties instituted after formal proceedings in that the revocation or suspension is immediate.
The ALR may be instituted on two occasions; if the motorist refuses to submit to a BCL or blood concentration level of alcohol test or if on taking the test, the BCL of alcohol in the person is found to be above the standard safe limit of 0.08%.
When an officer of the law stops a motorist on reasonable suspicion and notices some impairment in that motorist or sees alcohol in the vehicle, a sequence of events follows. The motorist is subjected to a field impairment test. If they fail it, they are arrested and subjected to an alcohol and substance chemical test at the police station. The failure of this as well constitutes a DWI offence and initiates an ALR.
Once this has been established, the offender’s license is immediately confiscated and they are issued with a 41 day suspension notice and a provisional license. Within this period, the offender has an opportunity to appeal the license suspension or the ALR. If they do so, the suspension does not come into effect permanently until the hearing is conducted. If they do not, the suspension comes into force and the typical suspension that comes into effect is anything between 180 days and two years, depending on one’s prior record.
Getting an Administrative License Revocation also requires professional legal help, something most persons neglect to do when faced with one. It is best to seek the counsel of an experienced ALR lawyer in Houston. Because most persons concentrate on the DWI charges facing them, they frequently overlook the ALR charges and end up suffering double punishment.
Most attorneys specializing in DWI cases insist that before beginning a defense for the DWI criminal charges, it is important to first deal with the ALR case. This is because as you appeal against the license suspension, you are actually building a case foundation for the next DWI proceedings.
