Pinal County ALR Hearing Guide

Pinal County DUI: Navigating Your MVD License Suspension Hearing

The clock starts ticking the moment you're served with an Admin Per Se / Implied Consent Affidavit (Form #40-5807) – the pink copy. This document initiates the process that could suspend your driving privileges in Arizona. Specifically, in Pinal County, you have only 15 days from the date of service to request a hearing with the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to contest this suspension. Missing this deadline means you automatically waive your right to fight the suspension, even though it technically doesn't go into effect for 30 days.

Understanding the Admin Per Se Suspension

If your breath or blood test results exceed the legal limit, you'll face an Admin Per Se suspension. For a first-time failed test, this typically results in a 90-day suspension. The first 30 days of this suspension are a "hard" suspension, meaning no driving is allowed. Refusing to take a breath or blood test leads to an even harsher penalty: a 12-month (365-day) suspension under Implied Consent laws.

Requesting Your Hearing: The Crucial 15-Day Deadline

You must request a hearing to challenge the suspension. Here's how:

1. Prepare Your Request: Create a formal letter including your full name, driver's license number, and the Case/Withdrawal Number from the pink affidavit. Clearly state that you are requesting a hearing to contest the suspension.

2. Submit Your Request: Email is the preferred and most verifiable method, providing a digital timestamp as proof of submission. Send your request to hearingoffice@azdot.gov. While in-person drop-offs are technically accepted, they are only accepted at the ADOT Executive Hearing Office in Phoenix, not at any local Pinal County MVD offices.

Virtual Hearings: The Standard Format

Currently, ADOT conducts these hearings virtually via Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Google Meet. You will receive the hearing link via email, typically 24 to 48 hours before the scheduled hearing. It's your responsibility to ensure ADOT has a legible email address. If you don't receive the link by the day before your hearing, contact the Executive Hearing Office immediately at 602-712-7737.

Getting Your "Discovery" Packet: Police Reports and Evidence

Unlike criminal cases, ADOT doesn't automatically provide evidence. You (or your attorney) must request and pay for the "Discovery Packet" directly from the arresting law enforcement agency. This packet includes the police report (DR), Alcohol Influence Report (AIR), dashcam video, and body-worn camera (BWC) footage.

Pinal County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) Fees:

• Police Report: $7.50 for up to 25 pages ($0.25 per page thereafter).
• Photos/Audio/Video (CD): $15.00 each.
• Traffic Accident Report: $5.00

Casa Grande Police Department (CGPD) Fees:

• Police Report: $7.50 (first 10 pages), then $0.55/page.
• Body Worn/Dash Camera Video: $23.00 for each 30 minutes of video.
• Audio/Photos CD: $25.00 each.

Important Payment Information:

• PCSO accepts only money orders or business checks for records requests. No cash or personal checks.
• CGPD payment methods should be confirmed when requesting the records.

Contact the Records Unit of the respective police agency (PCSO or CGPD), submit a public records request, calculate the fee, and mail or deliver the payment. You'll then receive the evidence by mail or arrange for pickup.

ADOT's Executive Hearing Office is located at 3838 N. Central Ave., 3rd Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85012.