Brazoria 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
You have 15 days from a Brazoria County DWI arrest to request a hearing to keep your license. There is no good-cause exception for missing it. Blow the deadline and your license is suspended automatically on the 40th day. People miss this constantly because they're focused on a court date that's months out and don't realize the license case is already running.
Request the hearing online, by mail, or by fax. Doing it does two things: it stays the suspension until the hearing actually happens, and it forces DPS to hand over the offense reports, which is often your first look at the evidence before the criminal prosecutor releases their file.
The 120-day wait
DPS says to allow up to 120 days for the hearing to be scheduled. That's a mixed blessing. You keep driving legally the whole time, but the suspension can land six months down the road and knock out your job just as the criminal case is wrapping up. Plan for that timing rather than being surprised by it.
DPS offices
If you're suspended or applying for an occupational license, you deal with the DPS office in Angleton at 121 East Myrtle Street or Lake Jackson at 5 Oak Drive. Walk-in service is basically gone; appointments book out weeks. A $125 reinstatement fee is due before you get a valid license back, and the appointment backlog stretches the time you're stuck without one.
The interlock
Courts often require an ignition interlock as a bond condition for a high BAC or a repeat offense. A long-standing local installer operates in Angleton; other certified providers serve the Lake Jackson and Clute area.
The problem is calibration. The device has to be recalibrated at the shop every 30 days, but if your license is suspended you can't legally drive there. Skip the appointment and you've violated your bond. Most people rely on a friend or family member to drive the car in. Watch the battery too: the device draws power constantly, and a dead battery reads as a tamper event, which means an unlock code and a tow.
Sr-22
To get an occupational license you need SR-22 insurance, a certificate that flags you to the state as high-risk. It typically raises your premium 50 to 200 percent, and that cost sticks around for years after the case ends.
Last updated: September 7, 2026
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