Evans County License Hearing Guide
How to request your Administrative License Hearing and protect your driving privileges after a DUI arrest.
Last verified: September 6, 2026
30-Day Deadline
You have exactly 30 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
Evans County has no DDS office, and the license part of a DUI can't be handled by mail alone. The closest full-service center is in Reidsville, in Tattnall County, at 3092 Georgia Highway 147, about 15 miles west of Claxton. It's open Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Mondays. Statesboro, in Bulloch County, is the backup, farther out.
A DUI arrest starts a civil case against your license, run by the Department of Driver Services, separate from the criminal case in State Court.
The 30-day deadline
Once you're served the yellow DDS 1205 form, for a refusal or a BAC of 0.08 or higher, you have 30 calendar days to act.
Request an ALS hearing by sending a $150 fee and a request letter to the DDS. That pauses the suspension until a hearing before an administrative law judge, where the goal is to have the officer rescind the suspension or to win outright.
Or waive the hearing, install an ignition interlock device right away, and apply for an interlock permit. That guarantees you can keep driving, at the cost of the installation and monthly monitoring fees.
Do nothing for 30 days and, if the case involved a refusal, you face a 12-month hard suspension.
The DUI school Catch-22
A conviction requires the 20-hour Risk Reduction course before you can reinstate. The course is fixed at $360 statewide: a $100 assessment, a $235 class, and a $25 workbook, and the classroom part can't be done online. There are no certified schools in Claxton. The closest is in Metter, about 15 minutes north, and there are two in Statesboro. So a defendant whose license is already suspended has to find a ride to a 2.5-day course in another county in order to get that license back. The class directory on this site lists providers.
A clinical evaluation by a state-approved evaluator is a separate requirement for most pleas, usually $100 to $150. If it recommends treatment, expect a multi-week outpatient program.
To reinstate, you go in person to Reidsville or Statesboro with your certificate of completion and pay the fee: $200 by mail or online, $210 in person. A conviction also requires an SR-22 certificate, filed with the state electronically by your insurer, and the high-risk premium adds $1,000 to $3,000 a year. Georgia's approved interlock brands include Intoxalock, Smart Start, and LifeSafer.
Last updated: September 6, 2026
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