Georgetown County License Hearing Guide
How to request your Administrative License Hearing and protect your driving privileges after a DUI arrest.
Last verified: September 5, 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
A DUI arrest in Georgetown County triggers an automatic license suspension under South Carolina's implied consent law the moment a driver refuses the breath test or registers a BAC of .15% or higher, and there are only 30 calendar days to request an administrative hearing challenging it.
That request goes to the Office of Motor Vehicle Hearings in Columbia, along with a $200 filing fee. The fee has to be a cashier's check or money order. Personal checks are rejected outright. Attorneys now file electronically, and e-filing is available to anyone, but a driver handling this without a lawyer still needs to make sure the paperwork and payment physically arrive at OMVH before the deadline, not just get mailed by it.
A Temporary Alcohol License costs another $100 on top of the filing fee and can be requested at the Georgetown SCDMV branch on Ridge Street. It restores full driving privileges while the suspension hearing is pending. If the hearing officer upholds the suspension, the TAL is revoked immediately and the driver serves out the remainder of the suspension period. South Carolina no longer offers a route-restricted license as an alternative; that option was eliminated statewide in 2024. A driver in that position installs an ignition interlock device to regain any driving privileges before the suspension fully expires.
The Georgetown SCDMV branch, at 214 Ridge Street, keeps unusual midweek hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, but 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday. Basic transactions can be handled as a walk-in, but anything involving a restoration or a testing requirement moves faster with an appointment booked ahead of time, since the line for complex cases tends to run long.
Two Smart Start locations serve the county: one at Kneece Law LLC in Pawleys Island, which also provides account management and informational video access, and another at Rott's Tire & Auto in Murrells Inlet. SR-22 insurance, required for reinstatement after most DUI suspensions, is available through a licensed local agent or a national carrier — either route satisfies the state's filing requirement.
Last updated: September 5, 2026
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When facing a DUI charge in Georgetown County, finding local, experienced representation is critical. Below is our curated list of verified DUI defense attorneys serving Georgetown County, SC.