Henry County DDS ALS Hearing Guide
How to appeal your Administrative License Suspension (ALS) and protect your driving privileges after a DUI arrest.
Last verified: September 5, 2026
10-Day Deadline
You have exactly 10 business days from your arrest to appeal your Administrative License Suspension (ALS). Miss this deadline and your license is automatically suspended. No exceptions.
Enter your arrest date to see your deadline:
If You Appeal in Time
- * Hearing scheduled with OSAH
- * Chance to keep your license
- * May get limited permit faster
If You Miss the Deadline
- * Automatic 1-year suspension
- * No hearing, no appeal
- * Starts on 46th day after arrest
How to Appeal Your ALS
In Georgia, you appeal your Administrative License Suspension to the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS). The hearing is conducted by the Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH), not the criminal court.
File Through Attorney
Why: Must be filed properly with DDS
Deadline: Within 10 business days of arrest
Handles both ALS appeal and criminal case
File Pro Se (Self)
Where: Georgia DDS online or by mail
What to File: Request for ALS Hearing
Cost: $150 filing fee
Not recommended - legal complexity
What OSAH Will Consider
Grounds for Appeal:
- * Officer lacked reasonable suspicion for stop
- * Improper administration of chemical test
- * Officer failed to read implied consent notice
- * Testing equipment not properly calibrated
Documents to Gather:
- * DDS Form 1205 (given at arrest)
- * Citation and ticket copies
- * Any police reports available
- * Witness information
Georgia ALS Suspension Periods
Failed Chemical Test (0.08+ BAC)
- 1st:1-year suspension (limited permit eligible immediately with IID)
- 2nd:3-year suspension (limited permit after 120 days with IID)
- 3rd+:5-year suspension (no limited permit for 2 years)
Refused Chemical Test
- 1st:1-year suspension (limited permit after 30 days with IID)
- 2nd:3-year suspension (limited permit after 18 months)
- 3rd+:5-year suspension (no limited permit)
Important: 10-Year Lookback
Georgia looks back 10 years for prior DUI offenses. A second offense within 10 years carries significantly harsher penalties under O.C.G.A. 40-6-391.
What to Expect at the Hearing
ALS appeals are heard by OSAH
The Office of State Administrative Hearings conducts ALS hearings, not the criminal court. This is an administrative proceeding separate from your criminal DUI case.
Duration
30-60 minutes typically
Who's There
You, your attorney, OSAH judge, possibly arresting officer
What They Review
Probable cause for stop, proper test procedures, implied consent reading
Evidence That Can Help
- Dashcam or bodycam showing procedural errors
- Intoxilyzer 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 challenge stop legality
- Knows how to challenge test procedures
- Can get limited permit faster
- Handles both ALS appeal and criminal case
Without an Attorney
- State has experience against you
- May not know proper legal arguments
- Harder to get limited permit
- Lower success rate statistically
If You Lose Your Appeal
Losing the ALS appeal isn't the end. You still have options to maintain limited driving privileges:
Ignition Interlock
Drive with IID installed
Limited Permit
Work, school, medical, treatment
Georgia DDS Customer Service Center
For license reinstatement after suspension ends, or questions about your driving record:
FAQ
Related Guides
The clock that decides whether a Henry County DUI defendant keeps driving is 30 days, not the 45 printed on the DDS-1205 permit. Within 30 calendar days of the arrest, the driver has to request an Administrative License Suspension hearing, which costs $150 and stops the suspension from taking effect, or waive the hearing and install an ignition interlock to get a limited permit for work, school, and treatment. Do nothing and the license suspends automatically on day 46 for a full year. Georgia widened this window from 10 days to 30 back in 2017, which gives more room to decide but doesn't change how final the deadline is.
Reinstatement and in-person license business for Henry County residents run through the DDS Customer Service Center at 619 Tanger Boulevard in Locust Grove. It's closed Sundays and Mondays, open Tuesday through Friday until 6 p.m. and Saturday mornings. Sitting next to the Tanger outlet mall, it draws heavy traffic and long waits, especially on Saturdays. The kiosks there only handle simple renewals; a reinstatement needs a counter agent.
The court can also order continuous alcohol monitoring, usually a SCRAM ankle bracelet that samples sweat for alcohol every 30 minutes, along with GPS monitoring for higher-risk defendants. In Henry County the cost falls entirely on the defendant: a $25 activation fee plus $40 a day, which comes to $280 a week, and it has to be paid a week ahead. Falling behind on those payments counts as a violation of release conditions and can send someone back to jail, not for drinking, but for not paying.
Sources
Last updated: September 5, 2026
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