The 10-Day Rule: How to Save Your License After a DUI Arrest
After a DUI arrest you have just 10 days to request a DMV hearing or your license is automatically suspended — separate from the court case. Here's how the hearing works.
Two cases, not one
A DUI arrest triggers two separate proceedings: the criminal case in court, and an administrative case at the DMV over your driving privilege. They run independently.
The 10-day deadline
You have only 10 days from the arrest to request a DMV Administrative Per Se (APS) hearing. Miss it, and your license is automatically suspended after 30 days — regardless of what happens in court.
This deadline is the single most urgent reason to speak with a lawyer immediately after a DUI arrest.
How the DMV hearing works
The APS hearing is your chance to challenge the suspension. It is a separate forum with its own rules, and winning it can preserve your license even while the court case is pending. Valley arrestees are handled through the local Driver Safety Office.
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