Idaho DUI License Suspension: Timelines, Dual Tracks, and How to Get Reinstated

A DUI Case Can Involve Two Separate Suspensions

Most Idaho drivers don't realize that a single Idaho DUI case can involve two independent license-suspension tracks, especially when a failed evidentiary test is followed by a criminal conviction:

Track 1 — Civil Administrative License Suspension (ALS). This is a civil action by the Idaho Transportation Department, triggered automatically when you fail an evidentiary chemical test. It starts 30 days after the date of service printed on the suspension notice, regardless of what happens in criminal court.

Track 2 — Criminal court-ordered suspension. If you're convicted of DUI in magistrate court, the judge orders a separate license suspension. Whether it runs concurrently or consecutively with the civil one depends on the court order.

These tracks operate independently. A dismissal of the criminal DUI charge does not lift the civil ALS. Completing your criminal sentence does not close the administrative suspension. You must resolve each one separately with its own fee and documentation.

The 7-Day Deadline That Changes Everything

The most critical deadline after an ALS notice for a failed evidentiary test in Idaho is the Administrative License Suspension hearing request. You have exactly seven calendar days from the date of service of the suspension notice to submit a written hearing request to ITD.

You can email it to [email protected] or mail it to PO Box 7129, Boise, ID 83707. The request must be received — not postmarked — within seven days.

Filing this request preserves your right to contest the suspension and triggers an administrative hearing; it does not itself stay (pause) the suspension. Do not assume that filing lets you continue driving once the suspension becomes effective—follow the notice and verify your current driving status.

If you miss the seven-day window, the suspension takes effect automatically 30 days after service. Treat this request deadline as strict: the statute provides no good-cause extension for it.

First-Offense DUI Suspension Timeline

If you failed the chemical test (ALS track):

• 90-day civil suspension
• First 30 days: absolute suspension — no driving under any circumstances
• Remaining 60 days: eligible for a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) with interlock device
• Reinstatement fee: $245

If you refused the chemical test:

• 1-year absolute suspension with no RDP eligibility (first refusal)
• 2-year absolute suspension (second refusal within 10 years)
• Reinstatement fee: $245

If convicted in criminal court (in addition to ALS):

• Court-ordered suspension period (varies by judge)
• Reinstatement fee: $285
• Mandatory SR-22 filing for 3 consecutive years from end of suspension
• Ignition interlock if required by the court order (and an IID is also required for an RDP)

Second and Subsequent DUI Penalties

A second ALS within five years results in a one-year civil suspension with no eligibility for a restricted driving permit. You cannot drive at all for the entire year.

On the criminal side, a second DUI conviction carries enhanced penalties including longer suspension periods, potentially longer court-ordered interlock requirements, and higher fines. The ITD maintains a 10-year lookback period for DUI-related offenses — even if a prior offense was sealed under Idaho's Clean Slate Act, it still counts as a prior for enhancement purposes.

The Full Reinstatement Checklist After a DUI

Here's the sequence for restoring your license after completing all suspension periods:

1. Confirm all suspension periods have been served — both the ALS and any criminal court suspension
2. Resolve any other active holds — check your driving record for additional suspensions (points, court debt, child support) that may have accumulated
3. Have your insurer file an SR-22 electronically through the Idaho Insurance Verification System
4. If interlock was required, confirm the installation certificate is on file with ITD
5. Pay all reinstatement fees — $245 for ALS, $285 for criminal conviction. Both are due if you have dual-track suspensions from the same arrest
6. Submit reinstatement application (Form ITD 3786) to Driver Services
7. Verify "Valid" status on the ITD online portal before driving
8. Visit a county licensing office to get your physical license reissued

The Idaho Driver's License Reinstatement Guide covers the entire DUI dual-track process with timelines, fee calculators, and form-by-form instructions — so you resolve both suspensions in the correct order without missing a step.

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