What Is the 15-Day ALR Deadline in Texas?

The ALR Clock Starts at Arrest — Not at Your Court Date

When the SAPD or DPS Trooper issued the DIC-25 notice at the scene of your San Antonio DWI arrest, the Administrative License Revocation clock started. You have exactly 15 days from that date to request an ALR hearing with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Miss the deadline and your license is automatically suspended at day 40 — 90 days for a first failed breath test, 180 days for a refusal. No extension exists. No exception. We file the ALR request the day you retain us on every DWI case.

What the ALR Hearing Is

An ALR hearing is a civil proceeding before the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) to contest the Texas DPS license suspension. It is separate from the criminal case at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center and runs on its own timeline. The ALR hearing must be requested within 15 days. The hearing itself is typically scheduled 60 to 120 days after the request.

The ALR Hearing’s Strategic Value Beyond Your License

Even when the ALR hearing does not produce a win on the license issue, it has significant value for the criminal DWI case. By subpoenaing the arresting SAPD or DPS Trooper to testify, we lock in their sworn account of:

• The basis for the traffic stop — what exactly they observed
• What indicators they noted before making the arrest
• How the field sobriety tests were administered
• The breath or blood test procedure followed

If the officer’s ALR testimony later contradicts their criminal trial testimony or their written report, that inconsistency is powerful impeachment material. The ALR hearing is the pretrial deposition the criminal case would not otherwise have.

What the Suspension Looks Like If You Miss the Deadline

If you miss the 15-day deadline, the Texas DPS automatically suspends your license at day 40 from the arrest date. First offense penalties: 90 days for a failed breath or blood test, 180 days for a refusal. Second offense: 1 year for failure, 2 years for refusal. The suspension begins regardless of the outcome of the criminal case at Cadena-Reeves.

Occupational License During Suspension

Even if the ALR suspension proceeds, a Texas occupational driver’s license allows you to drive to and from work, school, and essential household duties during the suspension period. We file for an occupational license at the same time we challenge the suspension — so you are not without transportation regardless of the ALR outcome.

What to Do Right Now

The 15-day window may already be partially elapsed. Call 210-692-4913 today. We file the ALR request the day you retain us — before any other step in the defense. The criminal case and the ALR proceeding run simultaneously and both require attention from day one.