Coleman County ALR Hearing Guide
How to request your Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Hearing and protect your driving privileges after a DWI arrest.
Last verified: October 9, 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
A failed test (BAC over 0.08) or a refusal starts the standard 15-calendar-day clock to request an ALR hearing contesting the resulting license suspension. Miss that window, and the suspension takes effect automatically on day 40, with no further right to contest it. Because the burden of proof at these hearings is only a "preponderance of the evidence," they're genuinely hard to win outright — but requesting one anyway gives defense counsel an early chance to cross-examine the arresting officer on the record, well before the criminal trial.
The local DPS office sits at 112 N Concho St in Coleman, open just three days a week: Monday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every DPS office in Texas runs by appointment, often booked weeks out, and while same-day walk-in slots theoretically exist, they're a long shot. A suspension that activates on a Tuesday or Wednesday leaves no path to same-day local help in Coleman at all — the fallback is the state's online portal or a trip to a regional Mega Center near Dallas-Fort Worth or Austin.
There's no ignition interlock or SCRAM installer inside Coleman city limits. Compliance means coordinating through providers in Abilene or San Angelo, or a mobile technician dispatched by a major statewide vendor like Smart Start or Intoxalock. SR-22 filings go directly from the insurer to DPS — no local Coleman broker required for that specific paperwork.
Last updated: October 9, 2026
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