Graham County ALR Hearing Guide

How to request your Administrative License Revocation hearing and protect your driving privileges.

Last verified: July 12, 2026

15-Day Deadline

You have exactly 15 days from your arrest to request an ALR hearing. Miss this deadline and your license is automatically suspended. No exceptions.

Enter your arrest date to see your deadline:

Your deadline will appear here

If You Request in Time

  • • Temporary permit until hearing
  • • Chance to keep your license
  • • Gather evidence for defense

If You Miss the Deadline

  • • Automatic 90-180 day suspension
  • • No hearing, no appeal
  • • Starts 40 days after arrest

How to Request Your Hearing

Fastest Method

Online Request

Fee: $125 (credit card)

Available: 24/7

Instant confirmation

Go to Arizona MVD Portal
Alternative

Phone Request

Phone: (512) 424-2600

Fee: $125 (credit card)

Hours: Mon-Fri 8AM - 5PM

Expect long hold times

Information You'll Need

From Your DIC-25 Notice:

  • • Driver License Number
  • • Date of Arrest
  • • Arresting Agency
  • • Arresting Officer Name

Personal Information:

  • • Full Legal Name
  • • Current Address
  • • Date of Birth
  • • Phone Number & Email

After You Request

1

Temporary Permit

Immediate

Drive legally until your hearing

2

Hearing Notice

20-40 days

Date, time, and format mailed to you

3

Prepare Defense

Before hearing

Gather evidence, hire attorney

4

Attend Hearing

Scheduled date

Usually phone or video

5

Decision

Same day

Win: keep license. Lose: suspension starts

What to Expect at the Hearing

Most hearings are by phone or video

You usually don't need to travel to Austin. When you receive your hearing notice, it will specify whether it's phone, video, or in-person.

Duration

30-60 minutes typically

Who's There

You, your attorney (optional), MVD attorney, administrative law judge

What They Review

Probable cause for stop, proper arrest procedure, chemical test validity

Evidence That Can Help

  • Dashcam or bodycam footage showing procedural errors
  • Breathalyzer calibration records (if not current)
  • Witness statements about your sobriety
  • Medical conditions affecting field sobriety tests

For the rare in-person hearings:

State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), 300 W. 15th Street, Austin, TX 78701 • (512) 475-4993

Should You Hire an Attorney?

With an Attorney

  • Can subpoena arresting officer
  • Knows how to challenge evidence
  • Uses hearing to strengthen criminal defense
  • Higher success rate at hearings

Without an Attorney

  • MVD has experienced attorney present
  • May not know proper objections
  • Can't effectively cross-examine officers
  • Lower win rate statistically
Find DUI Attorneys in Graham County

If You Lose Your Hearing

Losing the ALR hearing isn't the end. You still have options to maintain limited driving privileges:

Ignition Interlock

Drive with device installed

Occupational License

Limited driving for work/essentials

Arizona MVD Office

For license reinstatement after suspension ends, or to get an occupational license:

Address
1801 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ 85007
Get Directions
Phone
(281) 219-4500
Hours
Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

FAQ

Related Guides

Court Process
Criminal case timeline
Bail & Bond
Getting released

Safford has no local office to handle a license-suspension hearing request. Every request goes to Phoenix, and there's no desk to drop it off in person, so mail or fax is the only way to get it there.

The 15-Day Deadline

An Admin Per Se suspension notice, issued at arrest if you tested at 0.08% or above or refused testing, gives you exactly 15 days to request a hearing in writing. Miss it, and the suspension, 90 days to a year depending on the case, becomes automatic and can't be reversed. Because there's no local office, faxing the request (602-241-1624) is the safer option over relying on rural mail delivery to arrive on time.

The Hearing Itself

All hearings for Graham County residents are handled by the Executive Hearing Office in Phoenix, but you don't have to travel there. Hearings run by video conference or phone, with the officer and defendant appearing from a local field office or attorney's office while the administrative law judge presides remotely from Phoenix.

Reinstating Your License

The Safford MVD field office, 310 W Main St, is open weekdays 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM, but effectively stops full service around 4:45 PM, and vehicle inspections need to happen before 4:00 PM. Walk-ins are discouraged; book an appointment through AZMVDNow.gov. Reinstatement itself requires a driving record review and proof of SR-22 insurance, plus a $20 fee for a revocation or $10 for a suspension; the office does not take personal checks.

If the state office's wait times are too long, MVP Motor Vehicle Processing, a private authorized third-party provider with locations in Thatcher and Willcox, offers walk-in service for a convenience fee.

Ignition Interlock

If reinstatement requires an IID, Safford has three installers: Intoxalock through Haralson Tire Company (214 E US Hwy 70, closed weekends), Smart Start through UTV Werks (1153 W Thatcher Blvd), and QuickStart (102 W 5th St). Installation ranges from free with a promotion up to $150, with a monthly lease of roughly $60 to $100 and calibration about every 30 days for around $20.

Sources

Last updated: July 12, 2026

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