Hidalgo 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
Texas DMV Office
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides
You have 15 days from a Hidalgo County DWI arrest to request a hearing that keeps your license. Miss it and the suspension is automatic on the 40th day after arrest, whatever happens in the criminal case.
Send the request by certified mail. You can file online, but DPS is a big bureaucracy and online submissions go missing, and without a certified receipt you have no proof you asked in time. The certified receipt is the whole point.
The hearing is on Zoom
Hidalgo County ALR hearings are held by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, almost always over Zoom or by phone. That shifts the risk from getting to a hearing to staying connected to one. A dropped call can be treated as a failure to appear, and a failure to appear is an automatic suspension. Get on a stable connection in a quiet room, and log in early.
Reinstatement and the occupational license
If the suspension goes through, getting the license back or applying for an occupational license runs through the DPS Mega Center that serves the Valley, in Weslaco at 2525 N. International Boulevard. It's appointment only, and appointments are booked months out. DPS drops a small number of same-day slots online around 7:00 to 7:30 in the morning; if you don't grab one, you wait weeks, and you can't legally drive in the meantime even with a court order for an occupational license.
The interlock
For a repeat DWI, a BAC over 0.15, or the DWI Court program, an ignition interlock is required. Certified installers operate shops in McAllen and Edinburg, with installation around $70 to $150 and monthly lease fees of $60 to $100. Other providers also operate in the area through local installers.
The monthly lease isn't the real number. The device has to be calibrated every 30 days, often for a separate $20 to $40. If it registers alcohol or you miss a rolling retest, it locks the car and you pay $50 to $75 for an unlock code. And if the car needs repair, you need a mechanic who knows the interlock: disconnecting the battery the wrong way records a tamper event, which gets reported to your bond or probation officer and can trigger a revocation warrant.
Last updated: September 7, 2026
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