Home » After an Arizona DUI: What to Do First, Step by Step

After an Arizona DUI: What to Do First, Step by Step

After a DUI arrest in Arizona you end up with a list: a hearing deadline, a screening, a suspension, an interlock, Traffic Survival School, maybe an SR-22. Nobody hands you the list in order. And the order matters, because several of these steps cannot start until an earlier one is finished.

We are an insurance agency, not attorneys, so this covers the license side: what the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) wants from you and when. For the criminal case, talk to a lawyer.

The short version:

Step 1: You have 30 days to ask MVD for a hearing

The officer who arrested you most likely gave you a suspension notice. That is MVD’s case against your license, and it runs separately from the court case.

You have 30 days from the date on the notice to request a hearing. If you have seen “15 days” somewhere, that was the old rule for DUI suspensions. It changed to 30 days in 2023, and plenty of websites never caught up. (ADOT’s general hearing page still mentions 15 days, which applies to most other kinds of MVD action.)

Two things to weigh before you ask:

If you do nothing, the suspension starts 30 days after the notice.
If you request a hearing on time, the suspension is paused until the hearing. But ADOT says that while the hearing is pending you are not eligible for the special interlock license described in Step 3.
It works the other way too. ADOT says that by getting that interlock license you waive your right to a hearing.

So asking for a hearing is not automatically the right move. It depends on your case, and it is a good question for an attorney. ADOT explains how to file on its DUI page.

Step 2: Get the alcohol screening done right away

If we could move one step to the front of everyone’s list, it would be this one.

The screening is the gate. The restricted driving permit, the interlock license and your eventual reinstatement all wait on it. The court will order one too if you are convicted.

What it is: a face-to-face interview with a licensed behavioral health professional or technician that takes anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Lab results by themselves do not count. Depending on what the screening finds, you may be sent to education classes or treatment.

It has to be done at an approved facility, so confirm that any provider you choose is on ADOT’s list. ADOT links that list from its screening page, and you will find a provider with offices in Phoenix and Chandler on our Arizona DUI services page.

Step 3: Serving the suspension

If you took the test and were at 0.08 or higher, the suspension is at least 90 days. For most first-time cases there are two ways to serve it:

30 days of no driving, then 60 days restricted to work, school and treatment. This is available if you have completed the screening, have had no DUI conviction in the past 84 months, and nobody was seriously hurt.
A Special Ignition Interlock Restricted Driver License, which most people call a SIIRDL. You install an interlock and can drive anywhere in Arizona in that vehicle. A bonus: if you are 21 or older, time on a SIIRDL can be credited toward the interlock requirement you will face later if you are convicted. ADOT says it does not count toward the six-month deferment described in Step 5.

If you refused the test, the suspension is 12 months, or 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months. After a first refusal you can apply for a SIIRDL once you have done the screening.

Step 4: The court case

This runs alongside everything above. Two things from it affect the rest of this list.

First, a judge who convicts you must order screening, and education or treatment if the screening calls for it. Finishing what the court orders matters: for a first standard DUI, Arizona law sets a minimum of 10 days in jail but lets the judge suspend all but one of them if you complete the program.

Second, the level of the charge changes what comes next. Arizona treats 0.15 and above as an “extreme” DUI, and 0.20 and above, sometimes called “super extreme,” more seriously still. Your attorney will tell you where you stand.

Step 5: After a conviction, Traffic Survival School and the interlock

Traffic Survival School

MVD requires it after a DUI conviction, no matter how many points are on your record.

At least 8 hours.
In person. State law does not allow it online, apart from narrow exceptions.
At a school licensed by MVD.
Skip it and your license is suspended automatically.

Your MVD letter gives your deadline. Go by that date, not by one you read online. ADOT’s Traffic Survival School page points you to the school finder.

Ignition interlock

First offense	Interlock required for
Standard DUI (0.08 to 0.149)	12 months
Extreme DUI (0.15 to 0.199)	12 months
0.20 or higher	18 months

A few things about the interlock that catch people out:

The clock does not start when you install it. ADOT says the time does not start counting until you have met all your requirements, including any suspension, and MVD has received your conviction from the court.
Do not wait to install it. ADOT’s interlock pamphlet warns that failing to install within 30 days of your conviction can mean an immediate suspension.
It has to be checked every 90 days. Miss a calibration or pull the device early and the license is suspended and the period starts over.
Violations add time. Two failed tests at 0.08 or higher, three missed or failed rolling retests in a row, or tampering with the device each add 6 months. A conviction for driving a vehicle without the device adds a year.
Six months may be possible. For a standard first offense, the law allows the rest of the requirement to be deferred after six clean months if you complete at least 16 hours of alcohol education and meet the other conditions. Ask MVD whether you qualify.

Step 6: The SR-22. Not everyone needs one.

An SR-22 is proof, filed electronically by your insurance company, that you carry at least Arizona’s minimum liability coverage: $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $15,000 for property damage.

Here is what most articles get wrong: a first DUI in Arizona does not automatically mean an SR-22. According to ADOT, you need one after:

a DUI suspension that came from a court conviction,
a suspension for refusing the test,
an alcohol or drug revocation, or
while you hold a SIIRDL, unless the SIIRDL is for the 90-day administrative suspension. ADOT states that no SR-22 is required in that case.

The usual length is three years. But ADOT’s own pages describe the starting point in more than one way, so do not count it yourself. Log in to AZ MVD Now and open your Compliance Report. It tells you whether you need an SR-22 and the exact date it ends.

If you do need one:

Keep it continuous. If the coverage lapses during the required period, ADOT says your license may be suspended. To clear it, your insurance company has to file a new SR-22 and you pay a $10 suspension fee.
No car is not a way out. ADOT’s wording: if you do not own a vehicle, you will need a non-owner insurance policy.
The restricted permit can call for one too. ADOT lists an SR-22 among the possible requirements for the 30/60 restricted permit in Step 3, so check what MVD asks of you.

This is the step we handle. You can get a quote, buy the policy and have the SR-22 filed from our Arizona SR-22 page. If you are not sure yet whether you need one, check your Compliance Report first, or call us with it in front of you.

Step 7: Reinstating your license

When everything on your Compliance Report is done, you can reinstate online at AZ MVD Now (look under Other Services, then Compliance Timeline) or at an MVD or authorized third party office. The fees are small compared with everything else:

$10 after a suspension, or $20 after a revocation
plus $50 if the suspension was the administrative one for a failed test
plus a license application fee of $10 to $25, depending on your age

Common questions

Do I need an SR-22 after a first DUI in Arizona?

Maybe. It depends on which action MVD took against your license. A refusal or a court-ordered suspension means yes. If your only suspension was the 90-day administrative one, possibly not. Your Compliance Report is the answer.

Can I take Traffic Survival School online?

Generally no. Arizona requires it in person at an MVD-licensed school. MVD can grant a one-time waiver to take it online if attending in person would be a substantial burden, or during a declared state of emergency.

I don’t own a car. Do I still need an SR-22?

If MVD requires one, yes. ADOT says a driver who does not own a vehicle needs a non-owner insurance policy. It is usually cheaper than insuring a car.

What changed recently?

The hearing deadline went from 15 to 30 days in 2023. A law that took effect in September 2026 removed the 45-day wait before a second-time offender can apply for a SIIRDL. The interlock lengths, SR-22 rules and reinstatement fees described above are current as of October 2026.

Need the insurance part sorted out?

Start at our Arizona SR-22 page, or call 800-726-0640, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm Pacific. For screening, classes and interlock providers, see our Arizona DUI services page.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, and Arizona’s rules change. Confirm your own requirements with MVD and your attorney. Last reviewed October 2026.