An arrest for driving under the influence (DUI) while off base in Georgia may affect your ability to get to your Army post. Your criminal charge and your driving privileges follow separate processes. If an officer gives you an administrative license suspension (ALS) notice, you have 30 calendar days from receiving it to respond.
What choices do you have in 30 days?
The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) uses Form DDS-1205 when you refuse a state-administered chemical test or your test result reaches the state’s threshold. For drivers age 21 or older in noncommercial vehicles, that alcohol level is 0.08. Lower limits apply to younger drivers and those driving commercial vehicles.
You may ask for a hearing within 30 days and pay the required fee. Some Georgia license holders qualify instead for an ignition interlock limited permit, which requires a device that checks for alcohol before the car starts. Choosing that permit means giving up the ALS hearing. Drivers licensed in another state do not qualify for this permit.
What changes after the deadline?
If you take no action, Georgia suspends your driving privileges on day 46 after serving the notice. A test refusal leads to a one-year suspension without a standard work permit. For a first ALS suspension based on a test result, eligible Georgia license holders may obtain a regular limited permit and seek reinstatement after a minimum 30-day suspension. The rules for handling a license suspension depend on your circumstances.
Georgia still controls your right to drive on its roads, even when you hold a license from another state. It also reports a nonresident suspension to the driver’s home state. That state decides whether to impose its own restrictions.
Your command must also place a flag on your personnel record when it learns of your civilian arrest. Army Regulation 600-8-2 requires the command to start that flag within three working days after identifying the circumstances. The flag pauses certain career actions, including promotions, while the case remains unresolved.
How can you prepare for what comes next?
Understanding these separate processes helps you prepare for possible travel problems and career restrictions. Knowing the deadlines also gives you time to consider your options and make arrangements to reach your post.