I'm past the 15 days — is it over?

The suspension will trigger, but occupational licenses keep you driving, and the criminal defense is unaffected. Call anyway — timing questions have exceptions worth checking.

Where is the hearing held?

ALR hearings are administrative and typically conducted by telephone through SOAH — no courthouse trip required. Your attorney appears for you.

How Do ALR Hearings Work in San Antonio?

Quick answer: Same statewide system, same brutal deadline: 15 days from arrest to request the hearing that decides your license — separate from criminal court. Requesting it pauses the suspension, forces DPS to prove its case, and lets your lawyer question the arresting officer under oath months before trial.

Hearings run through the State Office of Administrative Hearings, usually by phone, with DPS carrying the burden on the stop, the arrest, and the refusal or failure. Winning kills the suspension. Losing triggers it — 90 days for a test failure, 180 for refusal, longer with priors — with occupational licenses available to keep you driving lawfully.

The hidden value is discovery: subpoenaing the officer converts the hearing into early sworn testimony, and inconsistencies with the report become trial ammunition. It’s why the hearing is included in our flat fee rather than sold as an add-on — skipping it wastes the best free look at the state’s case.

How Do ALR Hearings Work in San Antonio?

Related questions

I’m past the 15 days — is it over?

Where is the hearing held?