The arresting officer would have generally given you a *pink slip of paper called: Official Notice of Proposed Suspension. You are to report to DC Department of Motor Vehicles and request a DUI Show Cause hearing (in essence DC’s DMV is asking you to show cause why your driving privileges should not be suspended as a result of this DUI arrest). I recommend that if you, and not your attorney, appear to schedule the hearing, that you only present a government issued ID such as your driver’s license and not the actual notice. The DMV staff should be able to pull any information about an arrest with your identification: full name and date of birth. Be advised that the hearing must be requested regardless of whether you are a DC resident or not. The ultimate purpose of the hearing is to report to the DMV the result/status (outcome) of the DUI arrest and to determine whether there will be any suspension consequences. Again, this applies to both DC residents and individuals who do not reside in Washington, DC.

The DMV location you are to report to is: 955 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024. The phone number is:(202) 737-4404. Their hours of operation are from 8:15 AM to 4:00 PM Monday thru Friday. This is the only DC DMV location that deals with this particular issue. You will be scheduled for a future hearing date, in about sixty (60) days, to appear back at the location. You are allowed one (1) continuance of this hearing, but the request MUST be made seven (7) business days prior to the scheduled hearing date. This request can also be made in writing and sent to: DC DMV Adjudication Services at the address above.

It is very important that this request be made and in a timely fashion because failure to do so could result in your driving privileges being suspended in the District of Columbia. This is irrespective of the result of the actual DUI case or charges in DC Superior Court. Time is of the essence. If you are a DC resident you must request the hearing within ten (10) calendar days of being served with the paperwork and fifteen (15) days if you are a non-resident. Please read the document carefully. Should you have any questions and/or concerns, please give us a call today: 202.486.1186.

*Often times the police officer forgets to give the arrested individual the pink form. Unfortunately, and unfairly, the burden remains with the arrested person to know he or she must make the request at DC’s DMV.

+The practice in Maryland is fairly similar. The arresting officer in Maryland; however, will generally take your driver’s license – IF you are a Maryland resident – and issue you a temporary (paper) permit which is valid for forty-five (45) days IF your BAC scores are at or above .12. You are then required to request within ten (10) days a hearing from the Maryland Motor Vehicles Administration (MVA) to address the DUI arrest and maintain your driving privileges. Generally, you have up to forty-five (45) days within which to make the request. However, if the request is made within ten (10) days the temporary license will not expire until the scheduled hearing occurs.