Logan County License Hearing Guide
How to request your Administrative License Suspension (ALS) Hearing and protect your driving privileges after a OVI arrest.
Last verified: October 3, 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
Refusing a chemical test in Logan County triggers a mandatory one-year Administrative License Suspension; testing between 0.08 and 0.169 BAC instead brings a 90-day suspension. Either way, the officer confiscates the physical license the moment the result is recorded — well before any court date.
Counterintuitively, the ALS appeal doesn't go to the BMV. It has to be filed with Bellefontaine Municipal Court, within 30 calendar days of the initial arraignment or the suspension notice's mailing date. The hearing's scope is narrow and genuinely hard to win without counsel: the defense has to prove the arrest itself was unlawful, that the officer failed to properly request the chemical test, or that the officer didn't adequately explain the consequences of refusal.
The Hard-Time Window Doesn't Bend
A first-time test failure carries a 15-day hard-time period where absolutely no driving privileges exist; a first-time refusal doubles that to 30 days. Only after that window closes can an attorney petition the court for limited privileges covering specific work, school, or medical needs.
One Building for BMV and Title Business
The Logan County BMV Deputy Registrar and the County Clerk's Title Office share the exact same suite at 1365 County Road 32 N — a genuine convenience that avoids a second trip across the county for related registration and title paperwork while driving privileges are restricted.
Amnesty Doesn't Reach This Fee
The standard $475 reinstatement fee due at the end of a suspension is a real barrier for a lot of defendants. Ohio's Reinstatement Fee Debt Reduction and Amnesty program waives fees for a range of suspension types, but it explicitly and permanently excludes suspensions tied to alcohol, drugs, or deadly weapons — so an OVI-based suspension in Logan County doesn't qualify for a waiver or payment plan through it. The full $475 has to be paid directly to the BMV, in person at the Bellefontaine Deputy Registrar or by mail to the state.
Last updated: October 3, 2026