A DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) DUI/DWI hearing is an administrative hearing to determine whether the state should suspend the license (driving privileges) of a driver who has been charged with DUI/DWI. This hearing is also known as an “administrative per se” or “admin per se” hearing or an “administrative license revocation” or ALR hearing, and generally must be requested within a matter of days following the DUI/DWI arrest to challenge the automatic suspension of the driver’s license.

A defendant has the right to be represented by an attorney at such a DMV hearing—but unlike the criminal prosecution portion of a DUI/DWI charge, a defendant does not have a Constitutional right to counsel in an administrative DMV hearing and must hire an attorney (or be self-represented or pro se), as the state will not appoint an attorney to represent the defendant.

Laws regarding DMV hearings for driver’s license suspensions or revocations in DUI/DWI cases vary from state to state—including procedures and deadlines—and are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the vehicle code, penal or criminal code, or administrative code.

In Iowa, a DMV DUI/DWI hearing, also known as an administrative license revocation (ALR) hearing, is a separate process from the criminal court proceedings for a DUI/DWI charge. This hearing is conducted by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) to determine whether a driver's license should be suspended following a charge of DUI/DWI. In Iowa, a driver must request an administrative hearing within 10 days of receiving the notice of license revocation (which is often at the time of arrest). Failure to request a hearing within this timeframe will result in automatic license suspension. At the ALR hearing, the driver has the right to be represented by an attorney, but unlike in criminal court, there is no constitutional right to a state-appointed attorney for this administrative proceeding. Therefore, the driver must either hire an attorney or represent themselves. The specific procedures and rules for these hearings are outlined in Iowa's administrative code and statutes related to motor vehicle operation and public safety.