Chaffee County License Hearing Guide
How to request your Express Consent Hearing and protect your driving privileges after a DUI arrest.
Last verified: September 23, 2026
7-Day Deadline
You have exactly 7 days from your arrest to request a hearing. Miss this deadline and your license is automatically suspended. No exceptions.
Enter your arrest date to see your deadline:
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 after waiting period
How to Request Your Hearing
Online Request
Fee: Typically $50-$125
Available: 24/7
Instant confirmation
Phone Request
Fee: Same as online
Hours: Business hours only
Expect hold times
Information You'll Need
From Your 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
Temporary Permit
ImmediateDrive legally until your hearing
Hearing Notice
20-40 daysDate, time, and format mailed to you
Prepare Defense
Before hearingGather evidence, hire attorney
Attend Hearing
Scheduled dateUsually phone or video
Decision
Same dayWin: keep license. Lose: suspension starts
Temporary Permit
Immediate
Drive until hearing
Hearing Notice
20-40 days
Date mailed to you
Prepare
Before hearing
Gather evidence
Attend Hearing
Scheduled
Phone or video
Decision
Same day
Win or suspension
What to Expect at the Hearing
Most hearings are by phone or video
You usually don't need to travel. 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), state attorney, hearing officer
What They Review
Probable cause for stop, proper arrest procedure, 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
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
- State has experienced attorney present
- May not know proper objections
- Can't effectively cross-examine officers
- Lower win rate statistically
If You Lose Your Hearing
Losing the 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
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
Seven calendar days. That's how long you have to request an Express Consent hearing after a failed or refused breath test in Chaffee County, and the clock includes weekends — an arrest on a Saturday still gives you until the following Saturday, not the next business day. Miss it, and the license revocation takes effect with no hearing at all.
Don't count on walking into the Salida Driver License Office to handle it. The local office, at 448 East 1st Street, Room 210, is only open Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, closed Monday and Friday entirely, and closed for lunch from noon to 1:00 PM on the days it is open. Trying to make that narrow window inside a 7-day deadline is a real risk. The reliable move is requesting the hearing online through the myDMV portal instead — it generates an immediate, timestamped receipt as proof of the request, and it doesn't care what day of the week it is or whether the Salida office happens to be open.
Once the hearing is requested on time, you're generally eligible for a temporary driving permit that covers you until the hearing date itself. The hearing isn't held locally, either — most Express Consent hearings are handled by phone or video conference through the Hearings Division in Denver, not in Salida, so don't plan around an in-person appearance at the local office.
If your case requires an ignition interlock device, know that Chaffee County's installer market runs through essentially one physical location in Salida that hosts all three major national brands at a single address. That's convenient when it's available, but it also means if that shop is booked out, you're effectively locked out of every major IID provider in the county at once. The nearest alternatives sit in Cañon City or Colorado Springs, both a real drive from Salida or Buena Vista. Book the appointment as early as possible rather than waiting until a court deadline is close.
SR-22 insurance filings are mostly handled electronically these days through major carriers, but a local high-risk insurance agent in the Salida area can walk you through the paperwork if you'd rather not sort it out with a call center.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I have to request a DMV hearing after a DUI arrest in Chaffee County? Seven calendar days from the Notice of Revocation, and weekends count. An arrest on a Saturday still leaves a deadline of the following Saturday, not the next business day.
Can I request a Chaffee County Express Consent hearing at the Salida DMV office? The Salida office is only open Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, and closed for lunch daily from noon to 1:00 PM -- risky to rely on inside a 7-day window. Requesting the hearing online through myDMV instead gives you an immediate, timestamped receipt regardless of office hours.
Where is a Chaffee County DUI Express Consent hearing actually held? Most hearings are conducted by phone or video conference through the Hearings Division in Denver, not in person at the Salida office.
Where can I get an ignition interlock device installed in Chaffee County? A single installer hub in Salida hosts all the major national IID brands at one address -- the county's primary installer location. If it's fully booked, the nearest alternatives are in Cañon City or Colorado Springs, so schedule early. </content>
Last updated: September 23, 2026
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