Georgia ALS hearings and ignition interlock elections

Begin with the served DDS notice

An administrative license suspension, commonly called an ALS, concerns the driver's refusal or state-administered test result in the circumstances specified by Georgia law. DDS explains the process through its ALS options page. The arresting agency's notice identifies the action being proposed and provides information that must follow the driver into the hearing or interlock process. Keep the legible copy, including the service and temporary-permit sections.

The DDS customer election sheet gives 30 calendar days from service of DDS 1205 to choose the available response. If no qualifying action is taken, it states that suspension begins on the 46th day after service (checked October 21, 2026). Do not wait for a criminal-court hearing to evaluate this separate deadline; that case may operate on a different calendar.

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Requesting an administrative hearing

Use DDS's online hearing service, submit the designated paper request, or complete the transaction at a Customer Service Center. The official DDS 1206 request form asks for identifying information, the citation number, arresting agency, violation date, and the action being challenged. Attach DDS 1205 or 1205S when requesting an ALS hearing. State the grounds and relief requested sufficiently clearly for the agency to identify the dispute.

For an administrative alcohol-related suspension or chemical-test refusal, DDS 1206 requires the full $150 hearing charge with the request, as read October 21, 2026. A different $250 category on the same form concerns specified revocations of an ignition interlock permit, including failure to report, unsatisfactory reporting, or premature removal. It is not the fee for the initial ALS challenge. Select the checkbox matching the actual notice.

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Submission and receipt are practical safeguards

The ALS page directs customers using an online account to the hearing-request transaction under other services. Attorneys have a separate account route. For a mailed request, follow the Records Management address given by DDS and keep evidence of the full contents and delivery. For a counter transaction, DDS accepts the payment methods stated on its page; a mailed check should not be carried to the counter on the assumption that both routes use the same rules.

A completed request must meet the applicable filing period and payment requirements. DDS reviews the submission before forwarding the case to the Office of State Administrative Hearings. The form says the hearing notice will be mailed. Make sure the address used in the case is one where the driver can receive legal notices, and watch for instructions about the date, location or connection method, exhibits, and attendance.

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Temporary authority while the case is pending

Georgia's temporary-permit and suspension rules provide extensions associated with a timely ALS appeal, subject to the driver's continuing eligibility and the status of the proceeding. DDS 1206 explains that the department reviews the record and issues a temporary-privilege letter if the applicant qualifies. Possessing a hearing payment receipt is not the same document as an effective temporary driving permit.

Check the actual permit's expiration and conditions together with any DDS extension. Another suspension can prevent driving despite the pending ALS hearing. If the administrative case has not ended when temporary authority approaches expiration, follow the DDS extension process with the required case documentation. A driver should not create a personal extension by assuming the hearing delay automatically keeps the original paper valid.

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Choosing the interlock alternative

The administrative interlock option is an alternative to the hearing election. DDS's information sheet says applicants cannot pursue both elections for the same ALS. Its eligibility conditions include Georgia residency, a qualifying Georgia license, the absence of disqualifying withdrawals, and the applicable prior-DUI history. It also limits the route to drivers at least 21 or reaching that age within the specified election period. Confirm those conditions before paying to install equipment.

The device must be installed and DDS must have the required notice before issuance. Installation alone does not mean the person is authorized to drive. The current permit schedule, read October 21, 2026, lists a $25 administrative ignition interlock permit and a $100 restriction-removal charge. Successful device maintenance is required for four months after a consented state test or 12 months after refusal. Provider installation and service expenses are additional to the DDS charges.

Use a provider within the DDS ignition interlock program. Keep the permit, service records, and monitoring requirements together. Missed reporting or premature device removal can generate another DDS action with its own hearing procedure. A nonresident should examine the ALS appeal route rather than assume that a Georgia interlock permit is available merely because the arrest occurred in Georgia.

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Prepare for the licensing hearing

OSAH is the administrative tribunal, while DDS is the licensing agency that receives the initial request. The hearing addresses the administrative suspension under the applicable law. It does not itself decide every issue in the criminal prosecution. Read the case notice and applicable instructions when preparing testimony or documents about the arrest, implied-consent procedure, testing, refusal, or other disputed elements.

The OSAH public case portal can help locate administrative case information. Use the actual assigned case number rather than assuming the traffic citation number serves every system. If the driver has an attorney, make sure the attorney has the DDS notice and knows about the administrative matter. A lawyer handling the criminal docket may need separate instructions and paperwork for the ALS proceeding.

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What the administrative decision changes

Read the hearing notice as a set of procedural directions, not merely an appointment reminder. A driver who wants the tribunal to consider documents should identify how and when the assigned proceeding requires those materials to be presented. The notice or administrative order should also be used for any request to change the hearing arrangements. A conversation with the arresting officer does not necessarily change the tribunal's calendar or excuse attendance.

Preserve the distinction between factual evidence and the relief requested. A copy of the test paperwork may address what occurred, while a current motor vehicle report may show another withdrawal that affects temporary eligibility. A certified criminal disposition serves a different purpose again. Organizing those records by the question each one answers helps avoid presenting a stack of papers that never identifies the challenged DDS action. Keep any later orders with the initial election so the complete procedural history can be shown when DDS updates the record.

The official post-hearing instructions explain that an affirmed suspension takes effect as directed by the administrative decision and invalidates the temporary driving authority described there. For a refusal suspension affirmed after the hearing route, the guidance describes at least a year of suspension without an ordinary limited permit or early reinstatement, checked October 21, 2026. That consequence should be considered before making the initial election.

If the judge reverses the proposed ALS, DDS must update the licensing action. Other withdrawals or restrictions on the record can remain. The post-hearing instructions also explain why a certified copy bearing the administrative court's seal may be useful when DDS has not yet received the decision. Retain the complete order, including its service and review instructions, rather than only the page stating the result.

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Follow the criminal disposition through DDS

A later acquittal, dismissal, or reduction of the DUI charge to another offense can affect the ALS under the OSAH instructions. Obtain the certified, sealed criminal disposition and submit it through the DDS process. The first-DUI conviction guidance and ordinary limited-permit rules become relevant if a conviction creates a new suspension. They should not be substituted for the administrative election requirements at arrest.

Use the Georgia driving history service to investigate unresolved entries and the personalized reinstatement service to identify remaining requirements. If payment becomes due for restoration, consult the separate reinstatement schedule; the initial hearing payment does not pay all later licensing charges. The final question is whether DDS now shows driving authority for the intended vehicle and trip, after both administrative and criminal outcomes have been processed.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the DDS 1205 election period last?
The DDS administrative election sheet specifies 30 calendar days from service of the notice, checked October 21, 2026. Use the service information on the actual form when arranging a timely response.

Do I file the initial ALS request directly with OSAH?
The published process starts with a completed request to DDS and the applicable payment. DDS reviews and forwards the qualifying administrative case to OSAH for a hearing.

May I appeal and also elect the administrative interlock permit?
DDS describes those as alternative elections for the ALS. Examine eligibility and the consequences of each before completing the chosen route.

Does the hearing receipt allow me to keep driving?
DDS determines temporary privilege eligibility and provides the applicable permit or extension. A transaction receipt proves submission or payment, not the scope or duration of driving authority.

What happens to the administrative case if the DUI is reduced?
OSAH's post-hearing guidance describes DDS review using a certified court disposition when the DUI is reduced to a different offense. Send the official outcome and verify that the corresponding licensing entry is updated.

Can an OSAH reversal clear an unrelated suspension?
A reversal concerns the administrative action decided in that case. Unrelated DDS withdrawals require their own resolution before the driver can rely on unrestricted privileges.

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More Georgia DDS guides

The other Georgia DDS guides, 52 of them:

Where this subject meets the courts and the county records: Georgia court records and how an arrest is recorded in Georgia.

DUI in the largest Georgia counties, each with the local court and office that holds the file: Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Chatham and Clayton.