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Posted on January 30, 2025 in Drivers License Suspension Or Revocation
Getting your license back after a DUI in Arizona requires you to fulfill multiple steps, including serving your suspension and applying for reinstatement with the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division.
The Rosenstein Law Group can help you satisfy these requirements and get your license back so you can return to driving. To learn more about how to get your license back in Arizona, call us at (480) 248-7666 to speak with one of our Arizona DUI law specialists.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs can lead to a driver’s license suspension in multiple ways:
You will receive a suspension notice from the Arizona law enforcement officer who arrested you, MVD, or ADOT, stating the length of your suspension.
It can be tempting to use the terms “suspension” and “revocation” of your Arizona driver’s license interchangeably. But they are not the same.
According to the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Motor Vehicle Division (MVD), here is the difference between a revocation of your driver’s license and a suspension:
Below, we review the steps to restore your license after a suspension or get a new one after a revocation.
If your license suspension is not mandatory pursuant to Arizona law, you can appeal the suspension decision before your MVD license suspension takes effect.
You can contest an MVD license suspension online. You can do this by submitting a Hearing Request Form not later than 30 days from the date of the notice of suspension online or by doing any of the following:
Your request for a hearing must be in writing and received by ADOT’s Executive Hearing Office within 30 days of your DUI arrest.
The MVD will then schedule a hearing to consider your appeal. During this time, your pending automatic license suspension will be put on hold, known as a “stay” on the suspension.
If the ADOT Executive Hearing Office judge rules against you after completion of the hearing, you may be able to request a rehearing under Arizona Administrative Rule R17-1-512, or you can appeal the hearing to the Superior Court in the county where you received the DUI or Admin Per Se/Implied Consent notice of suspension.
If you do not appeal the MVD license suspension, or if you do and lose the appeal, then the next step is to do what you must to reinstate your driver’s license. Here are the things you must do to complete the reinstatement process.
Before you can apply to reinstate your license, you must wait out the full suspension period.
Your court-ordered or MVD license suspension may require you to complete programs including classes, treatment, and alcohol and drug screening. You need to finish all of these before applying for reinstatement of your license.
Be sure to include documentation showing your completion of these required programs with your reinstatement application.
SR-22 insurance is an additional certificate on top of your mandatory requirement to have automobile insurance on your car. You will be required to have SR-22 insurance if you are convicted of DUI or your suspension was because of an implied consent refusal.
If you must carry SR-22 insurance, then you must keep that coverage for three years after the date on which you become eligible to reinstate your driver’s license. This is true even if you do not own a vehicle but drive someone else’s vehicle.
You must pay a license reinstatement fee to ADOT to reinstate your license.
An Arizona DUI conviction will result in you being required to install an ignition interlock device (IID) in any and all vehicles you drive. You are responsible for the costs of installing this device and for any monitoring fees or maintenance costs connected with it.
The IID requirement lasts for 12 months after your license is reinstated, but you must have the device installed when you submit the reinstatement application.
Having an IID in your vehicle is also necessary if you want to apply for a Special Ignition Interlock Restricted Driver’s License (SIIRDL). This is potentially available to you depending on a multitude of circumstances.
To apply for this kind of restricted license, you must meet the following requirements:
A SIIRDL will allow you to drive your vehicle, even if your license is suspended, under the following restrictions:
Once your license suspension is complete, obtain a Notice of Completion from the vendor from which you got the IID. You will need to include this with your reinstatement application.
Once you have completed the above steps, you can submit an application along with supporting documentation to reinstate your driver’s license. You can apply online, by mail, or at an MVD office.
Once you have submitted the necessary documents and have a digital photo on file with the Arizona MVD, you can pay your reinstatement fee in person at an Arizona DMV office, online at the ADOT website, or by mail.
If you do not have a photo on file with the MVD, you must visit an MVD office in person. You will also need to pay the reinstatement fee.
Your Arizona commercial driver’s license (CDL) can be suspended whether you violate traffic laws or commit crimes in Arizona or another state. Depending on your offense, you may face both state and federal suspensions and charges, and your CDL may be suspended, revoked, or possibly revoked permanently, depending on the circumstances involving your suspension.
To reinstate your CDL, please see the MVD’s Commercial Driver’s License Suspension and Revocation page.
You can lose your license to revocation because of a DUI in the following ways:
In addition, if your DUI conviction involved circumstances like a hit-and-run or failure to render assistance at an accident scene, vehicular homicide, making a false statement to the MVD or about your ownership of the vehicle, or if you were convicted of any other felony in which a motor vehicle was used, these can result in your driver’s license being revoked.
To get your driver’s license you will have to submit a “revocation application” to MVD and apply for MVD’s approval to receive your Arizona driving privileges back.
After you have completed the required revocation period, you will need to complete any substance abuse treatment and education programs imposed as part of your DUI sentence. You must include documentation showing your completion of these programs with your application.
If your sentence includes an ignition interlock device requirement, you must have the IID installed before turning in your revocation application.
If you are required to have SR-22 insurance, you will need to have this policy in place when applying for your license after a revocation.
One way revocation differs from license suspension is you will need to undergo an investigation of your driving record to get your license back. To begin this process, you need to fill out and submit a revocation application.
If, upon review, you are found eligible to regain your driving privileges, you will receive a Permission to Reapply Notice in the mail.
Once you have completed all of the requirements for reinstating your license after a DUI, you can reapply for a license.
Reinstating or renewing your license after a suspension or revocation is a detailed process that requires careful preparation and full compliance with all the required steps.
Our team of attorneys has more than 150 years of combined legal experience representing clients in DUI matters, including license reinstatements and renewals. You can rely on our attorneys to do whatever is in their power to help you get your life back.
Get our skilled attorneys working on your case immediately without risk. Contact us online or reach us 24/7 by calling (480) 248-7666.