Bell County ALR Hearing Guide
How to request your Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Hearing and protect your driving privileges after a DWI arrest.
Last verified: September 7, 2026
15-Day Deadline
You have exactly 15 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
Fax the hearing request. You have 15 calendar days from a Bell County DWI arrest to ask for a hearing to keep your license, and while you can file online or by mail, defense attorneys here send it by fax to (512) 424-2650 because the transmission confirmation gives you a timestamped receipt. DPS mailrooms are slow and online submissions can vanish. Miss the 15 days and the suspension starts automatically on the 40th day.
The blood-lab loophole
Bell County police lean heavily on blood draws, and the DPS labs run behind. At the ALR hearing, DPS has to prove your alcohol level, and if the lab report isn't ready, their attorney asks for a continuance. The rules give them one continuance for missing evidence. If the report still isn't in at the second hearing, your attorney can move to dismiss the suspension.
There's a catch. Even after a dismissal, DPS can refile once the results come back, and they mail the new notice to your address on file, not necessarily your attorney. If you've moved or you ignore the letter, the license suspends by default. Keep your address current with DPS.
The hearing
Hearings are run by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, almost entirely over Zoom or phone now. Scheduling can take up to 120 days, and your temporary permit stays valid the whole time as long as you requested the hearing on time.
Reinstatement
If the suspension holds, a $125 reinstatement fee goes to DPS directly, online or by mail, separate from any court fine. A common and expensive mistake is paying court costs, assuming the license is clear, and getting arrested months later for driving while license invalid.
Interlock and monitoring
Bell County judges routinely order an ignition interlock or a SCRAM ankle monitor for a high BAC or a repeat offense. Certified installers operate in Killeen and Temple. SCRAM monitoring in Bell County goes through one court-approved provider, and at $10 to $12 a day it runs $300 to $360 a month, all on you.
Two technical traps to head off. The interlock draws power even when the car is off, and in Central Texas heat a few days without driving can kill the battery, which the device logs as a tamper event. A trickle charger prevents that. And before any mechanic touches the battery, get a bypass code or a mechanic affidavit from the interlock company, or the disconnect looks like tampering to a judge later.
Last updated: September 7, 2026
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