Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Program

The Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Program is a civil administrative process requiring the Department to suspend and/or disqualify your driver license if you are arrested for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Boating While Intoxicated (BWI) when you:

  • Refuse to take or fail to complete a blood or breath test, or

  • Provide a blood or breath test that registers a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or more while driving a non-commercial motor vehicle, or

  • Provide a blood or breath test that registers a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or more while driving a commercial motor vehicle.

The suspension of your driving privilege under the ALR program is unrelated to the criminal court proceedings for DWI or BWI. Additional information can be found in Texas Transportation Code Chapters 524 and 724.

ALR Process for DWI or BWI

If a law enforcement officer has reason to believe a driver is impaired, a set of field sobriety tests will be administered. If the driver performs poorly on the field sobriety tests then the driver will be arrested for DWI or BWI.

  1. The driver is asked to take a breath or blood test to measure his/her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level.

  2. The driver is served a notice that his/her driver license will be suspended if he/she refuses to take or fails the field sobriety test. (Registering a 0.08 BAC or greater is considered failing.) The individual then has 15 days from the date the suspension notice is served to request a hearing.

    1. If a hearing is not requested, the suspension goes into effect on the 40th day after the notice was served. (This is usually 40 days after the arrest.)

    2. For various reasons, including delayed or missing paperwork, the 40 days can be retroactive or back-dated from the date of notice.

  3. The law enforcement officer will take the individual’s driver license and issue a temporary driving permit.

  4. A $125 Reinstatement fee is required prior to the renewal or issuance of a driver license.

Hearings for ALR

In certain circumstances, individuals may be eligible to request a hearing for an administrative license revocation (ALR) to contest the suspension of their driver license. If the request is submitted within the required 15 days, DPS will send a letter to the individual to the address on record. The letter will provide the date, time and location of the hearing. Please allow up to 120 days for the hearing to be scheduled. Requests made after the required 15 days will be denied and the individual will be notified by mail.

Hearings are conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings.  When the hearing is held, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will listen to all parties’ evidence.  After the hearing, the ALJ will issue a final, appealable decision and order that will be sent to the parties.  If the ALJ finds that DPS has proven its case, the ALJ’s order will authorize a suspension of the individual’s driver license.  If the ALJ finds that DPS has not proven its case, the individual’s driver license will not be suspended. 

ALR Hearing Appeals

NOTE: If you have already been through the administrative hearing process and the decision resulted in the suspension of your driver license, you may be eligible to appeal that decision.

Periods of Driver License Suspension (Adults)

An individual's driver license will be suspended under the following circumstances.

  1. The individual refused to provide a blood or breath specimen following an arrest for an offense prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle or watercraft while intoxicated, while under the influence of alcohol, or while under the influence of a controlled substance.

    First Offense:  180 Days

    Repeat Offense: If previously suspended for failing or refusing a blood or breath test, or for a DWI, Intoxication Assault, or Intoxication Manslaughter conviction during the 10 years preceding the date of arrest the suspension period is 2 Years

  2. The individual provided a blood or breath specimen with an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or greater, following an arrest for an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle or watercraft while intoxicated.

    First Offense: 90 Days

    Repeat Offense: If previously suspended for failing or refusing a blood or breath test OR previously suspended for a DWI, Intoxication Assault, or Intoxication Manslaughter conviction during the 10 years preceding the date of arrest the suspension period is 1 year.

Disqualification Periods For a Commercial Driver License (CDL)

In addition to the suspensions listed above, if you are a commercial learner permit holder, a commercial driver license holder or were operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of your arrest, the following period of disqualification will apply:

  1. Refusal to provide a blood or breath specimen to determine the concentration of alcohol or the presence of a controlled substance while operating a motor vehicle in a public place.

  2. You provided a blood or breath specimen, while operating a motor vehicle in a public place, that showed an alcohol concentration of:

    1. 0.04 or more (commercial vehicle only)

      -or-

    2. 0.08 or more (any vehicle)

Periods of Driver License Suspension (Minors Under 21 Years of Age)

A minor's driver license will be suspended under the following circumstances:

  1. The minor refused to provide a blood or breath specimen following an arrest for an offense prohibiting the operation of a motor vehicle or watercraft while intoxicated, while under the influence of alcohol, or while under the influence of a controlled substance.

    First Offense: 180 Days

    Repeat Offense: If previously suspended for failing or refusing a blood or breath test OR previously suspended for a DWI, Intoxication Assault, or Intoxication Manslaughter conviction during the 10 years preceding the date of arrest the suspension period is 2 years.

  2. The minor provided a blood or breath specimen or a detectable amount of alcohol was found following an arrest for an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated.

    First Offense involving alcohol: 60 Days

    Second Offense: If previously convicted of an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol the suspension period is 120 Days

    Third Offense: If previously convicted two or more times of an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol the suspension period is 180 Days.

  3. The minor was not requested to provide a blood or breath specimen following the arrest for an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle because the presence of alcohol was detected or measured by other means.

    First offense involving alcohol: 60 Days

    Second Offense: If previously convicted of an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol the suspension period is 120 Days.

    Third Offense: If previously convicted two or more times of an offense involving the operation of a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol the suspension period is 180 Days.

Driver Eligibility Status

For individuals who are required to submit compliance documents (i.e. certificate of completion, SR-22, pay fines, etc.), their driver eligibility status can be checked on the License Eligibility website.

Note: Use the button below to find out which classes you will need to take with us to get your license back in order to fulfill the requirements of your license reinstatement. Alamo City Education Services, Inc. sends all DWI Education and DWI Intervention certificates directly to DPS within 10 business days of course completion.

DPS Mailing Address, Fax Number and Phone

Required documents can be submitted by mail or fax. Individuals should write their name, date of birth and driver license number on all documents so their record can be properly identified.

Mailing Address:

Texas Department of Public Safety
Enforcement and Compliance Service
P.O. Box 4040
Austin, TX 78765-4040

Fax Number: 512-424-2650

Phone Number: 800-394-9913 (ALR only)

Communication of information by, in, to or through this Web site and your receipt or use of it (1) is not provided in the course of and does not create or constitute an attorney-client relationship, (2) is not intended as a solicitation, (3) is not intended to convey or constitute legal advice, and (4) is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney.   You should not act upon any such information without first seeking qualified professional counsel on your specific matter. 

Talk to your attorney about your ALR hearing and license reinstatement procedures.