Published on 2/7/2022, 6:42:00 PM

What to Do After a DUI in Maryland | Recent DUI? Start here.

If you were arrested for DUI in Maryland, start by preserving your paperwork and temporary license, identifying the deadlines in the MVA process, and preparing for the separate court case. This checklist covers those immediate steps. For the broader law, penalties, and testing rules, see the 2026 Maryland DUI law guide.

1: Review and Preserve Your Paperwork and Citations

The first thing you should do following a DUI in Maryland is review your paperwork, including the citation you received following your arrest. The purpose of this review is two-fold. First, you must determine the location of your charge. In other words, you must identify the jurisdiction where your case is being handled. Many DUI cases arise on major highways or roads unfamiliar to a driver. The location of your case will be a key question an attorney is going to have.

Next, identify the agency involved in your arrest. For example, this could be the Maryland State Police if you were arrested by a state trooper, or the agency may be a local police department or Sheriff. Keep every citation and form together, and avoid resolving tickets from the same stop before getting advice about how they affect the DUI case.

2: Store Your Temporary License Somewhere Safe

If the officer who arrested you confiscated your Maryland license after your DUI arrest, he or she likely issued you a temporary driver’s license and an Order of Suspension on the DR-15A form. For this administrative per-se process, you generally have 30 days from the Order to request a hearing, but requesting it within 10 days is important to ensure your driving privilege is not suspended before the hearing. Absent the applicable hearing request or ignition-interlock election, suspension generally begins on the 46th day after the Order. During the period that your temporary license is active, it is imperative that you store it somewhere safe: without it, you will be unable to legally operate a vehicle.

The MVA license proceeding and the criminal court case are separate. A result in one does not automatically resolve the other, so keep both deadlines and case tracks in view.

3: Enroll in an Alcohol Evaluation for Substance Abuse Classes

Next, you should consider obtaining a substance abuse evaluation to determine your need for substance abuse classes. Most experienced DUI attorneys recommend taking this course of action because a Maryland substance abuse evaluation and subsequent treatment plan can help mitigate the severity of the charges and consequences that you may face.

A Judge is very likely to make this a condition of a potential probation. Further, it may help keep a conviction and points off your license if you are afforded a Probation before judgment, or "PBJ

A substance abuse evaluation determines whether the incident for which you were arrested was a one-time occurrence or indicative of dependency or substance abuse. The results of the evaluation can help determine your subsequent treatment plan.

4: Straighten Out Your License at a Hearing

As noted above, if you would like to continue driving after your initial 45-day temporary license has expired, you must request a hearing within a certain number of days, or enroll in an ignition interlock system for your vehicle. However, to determine whether it is in your best interests to request an administrative hearing to extend your driving privilege, you should first contact an attorney, as there are times when a hearing may not be the best course of action for your specific situation. If it is determined that a hearing is the best choice for you, then you should request a hearing as soon as possible following your DUI arrest.

At an MVA hearing, an administrative law judge reviews the MVA paperwork and any testimony or arguments presented. The available license options depend on the circumstances, including the test result or refusal. The dedicated MVA page explains that process in detail.

5: Prepare for Your First Court Date

Not every DUI arrest results in a night in jail. Many cases are charged by citation, while booking may involve fingerprinting, photographs, and release or a bail hearing. Your first court appearance may be a preliminary inquiry where the court identifies the charges and advises you about counsel. It is not the trial, and you do not have to resolve the case that day. Review the first-time DUI FAQ before court and keep your court plan coordinated with the separate MVA matter.

6: Consider Experienced DUI Counsel

An attorney can review the stop, testing, paperwork, and deadlines while developing a plan for both proceedings. FrizWoods represents people charged with DUI and DWI throughout Maryland. Learn more about our Maryland DUI and DWI defense, or contact us to discuss the next steps.