The AR licensing action explained
After a DWI arrest in Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services (dfa.arkansas.gov) opens its own case against your driving privilege. It is administrative, it moves faster than the criminal case, and it is decided regardless of what the court later does with the charge.
The request for an administrative hearing is due within 7 days of arrest. Miss it and the suspension usually takes effect automatically.
Hearing requests, suspension notices, reinstatement fees and interlock paperwork.
Deadlines, forms and how the hearing is conducted.
How the AR agency runs the licence case
- On arrest the officer issues an Official Driver's License Receipt and a Notice of Suspension, Revocation or Disqualification.
- A hearing may be requested before the Office of Driver Services, held in the Revenue Division office nearest the county of arrest.
- Suspension periods under Ark. Code § 5-65-104 run from six months for a first offense to a four-year revocation for a fourth offense within five years.
- An ignition interlock restricted licence is available as an alternative to full suspension under Ark. Code § 5-65-104.
- Reinstatement follows the requirements set out on the DFA's DUI/DWI information pages.
Arkansas licence facts
Arkansas DWI law at a glance
Sourced from the Arkansas code and state agency sites. Verify current text before relying on it.
- Offense name
- DWI (Arkansas)
- Controlling statute
- Ark. Code Ann. § 5-65-103
- Implied consent
- Ark. Code Ann. § 5-65-202
- Per se BAC limit
- 0.08 (0.04 CDL, 0.02 or lower under 21)
- Licence hearing deadline
- 7 days after arrest
- Prior-offense lookback
- 5 years
- First-offense fine
- $150–$1,000
- First-offense jail exposure
- up to 1 year
- Licence suspension
- 6 months
- Ignition interlock
- Required on a first offense in most cases
- Trial court
- the District Court
- High-risk filing
- SR-22 for 3 years
A first offense is a misdemeanor with a fine, possible jail, and license suspension.
Getting the licence back
- Serve the full suspension or hard-suspension period the agency sets.
- Complete any ordered assessment, education or treatment programme.
- Install an approved ignition interlock device — Arkansas requires one in most first-offense cases.
- Arkansas requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before a licence is reinstated after a DWI conviction.
- Pay the reinstatement fee and any licence-issuance fee in full.
Fees and processing times change; confirm the current amounts on dfa.arkansas.gov before you travel to an office.
Arkansas ZIP codes covered
These Arkansas ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
- 71601 — North cedar
- 71640 — Eudora
- 71652 — Kingsland
- 71653 — Lake village
- 71667 — Star city
- 71670 — Reed
- 71725 — Carthage
- 71758 — Mount holly
- 71763 — Manning
- 71801 — Perrytown
- 71826 — Bradley
- 71841 — Gillham
- 71842 — Horatio
- 71860 — Stamps
- 71866 — Winthrop
- 71909 — Hot springs vill
- 71913 — Lake hamilton
- 71921 — Amity
- 71922 — Antoine
- 71969 — Sims
- 71970 — Story
- 72029 — Clarendon
- 72064 — Hazen
- 72080 — Jerusalem
Counties and cities using these Arkansas resources
Counties
Other Arkansas official resources
Frequently asked questions
- How long do I have to challenge a Arkansas licence suspension?
- The administrative hearing request is due within 7 days of arrest. Confirm the current deadline and filing method with the AR licensing agency at dfa.arkansas.gov before relying on it.
- How long is a first-offense suspension in Arkansas?
- A first DWI offense generally carries a 6 months suspension in Arkansas. Reinstatement conditions, fees and any interlock requirement are set by the licensing agency.