If I request an Arizona DUI hearing, does that stop the suspension?

For Arizona implied-consent and Admin Per Se actions, yes. ADOT and the governing statutes say a timely hearing request stays the suspension until the hearing is held.

What happens if I refuse the chemical test in Arizona?

A first refusal generally causes a 12-month suspension and a second refusal within 84 months generally causes a 24-month suspension. Arizona also ties reinstatement after refusal to alcohol or drug screening, and some first-refusal cases may qualify for SIIRDL.

Does getting a SIIRDL preserve my hearing rights?

No. ADOT says a SIIRDL is voluntary and that accepting it waives the right to an administrative hearing on the related DUI administrative action.

When does my Arizona ignition interlock time actually start?

Arizona statutes tie the IID period to completion of screening, education, or treatment and to being otherwise eligible to reinstate. ADOT's IID page adds that time does not start until the suspension timing and MVD conviction-notice requirements are satisfied, whichever is later.

Does every Arizona DUI conviction require ignition interlock?

Not every one in the same way. Alcohol-involved DUI convictions commonly trigger IID, but ADOT says the standard 12-month IID rule is not required for drug-only DUI offenses after January 1, 2017, and Arizona statutes also allow some non-alcohol IID orders by court.

State service guide

Arizona DUI laws: Admin Per Se, implied-consent refusal, SIIRDL and IID timing, and what stays court-specific

A strong Arizona DUI page should explain that one arrest can trigger at least two different tracks: MVD administrative action against driving privileges and the criminal court case. The most useful Arizona-specific details are the 30-day temporary permit, the 30-day deadline to request an administrative hearing, the difference between a 90-day test-result suspension and a 12- or 24-month refusal suspension, the restricted-permit versus SIIRDL split, and the way conviction-based IID, Traffic Survival School, SR-22, suspension, or revocation requirements can stack on top of the arrest-side action.

Open official source View Arizona services

Hearing deadline 30 days from the date on the suspension notice for Arizona DUI administrative actions

Temporary permit If the Arizona license is surrendered at arrest, the officer generally issues a 30-day temporary permit

Test-result admin action Usually 90 days, with a qualifying first-offense path of 30 days suspended plus 60 days restricted or SIIRDL eligibility

Refusal penalty 12 months for a first refusal and 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months

Overview

What this page helps you verify

Arizona DUI content should not be written as one flat penalty chart. ADOT MVD's current materials separate implied-consent refusals, Admin Per Se suspensions based on test results, restricted driving, SIIRDL, screening, ignition interlock compliance, and conviction-side consequences under A.R.S. 28-1381, 28-1382, and 28-1383. The best version of this page should answer four operational questions fast: whether MVD action already started, whether the driver refused testing, whether a hearing or SIIRDL choice is still open, and what conviction-based requirements can continue after the administrative phase ends.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.

Official link

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

This page has been upgraded with a service-specific official source while keeping the USA.gov jurisdiction directory as the broader agency reference.

https://azdot.gov/mvd/services/dui-suspension/driving-under-influence-dui

View the USA.gov directory entry

Usually needed

Documents and information to prepare

The order of suspension and any 30-day temporary permit issued after arrest
Your AZMVDNow Compliance Report showing screening, fees, SR-22, IID, Traffic Survival School, and reinstatement items
Proof of alcohol or drug screening, treatment, education, or counseling from an approved provider
Proof of future financial responsibility (SR-22) when required by MVD for the specific DUI action
Ignition interlock installation proof and provider electronic reporting if applying for SIIRDL or reinstating with IID requirements
Court paperwork showing the exact conviction level when the DUI case has already been resolved in criminal court
Any materials supporting a hearing request if you are challenging the administrative suspension or refusal action

Typical flow

What the process often looks like

Treat the MVD administrative action and the criminal DUI case as separate tracks immediately, because Arizona can suspend or restrict your driving privilege before the court case ends.
Check whether your case is a test-result Admin Per Se case, a refusal case, a standard conviction, an extreme or super extreme conviction, or an aggravated DUI case, because the suspension, revocation, and IID rules change materially by category.
If you want to challenge the administrative action, request the hearing within 30 days from the notice. Arizona's DUI statutes say a timely request stays the suspension until the hearing is held.
Decide early whether you are contesting the action or seeking SIIRDL, because ADOT says getting a SIIRDL waives the right to an administrative hearing on the related action.
Complete screening promptly if the action requires it, because Arizona ties screening completion to both reinstatement and some restricted-driving options.
After conviction, complete the category-specific requirements shown on your compliance report, which may include Traffic Survival School, SR-22, IID, revocation waiting periods, or court-ordered education or treatment.
Before driving again, confirm that the administrative action, any conviction-based action, and any IID or SR-22 requirement are all properly reflected as cleared or active-authorized on your MVD record.

Two tracks

A DUI arrest in Arizona can create an MVD case and a criminal case at the same time

This should be the first structural point on the page because Arizona's official materials keep these tracks separate.

ADOT says your Arizona license can be suspended under implied-consent law without waiting for a court conviction.
If you surrender your Arizona license at arrest, ADOT says the arresting agency generally issues a 30-day temporary permit.
A court conviction can later add separate suspension, revocation, IID, SR-22, and Traffic Survival School consequences even if the arrest-side administrative action has already run.
A statewide Arizona DUI page should therefore separate arrest-side license consequences from conviction-side outcomes instead of blending them into one timeline.

Refusal versus test result

Arizona sharply distinguishes chemical-test refusal from a completed test that triggers Admin Per Se

This distinction changes both the suspension length and the available restricted-driving conversation.

Under A.R.S. 28-1385, a qualifying DUI test result generally produces a 90-day administrative suspension.
For eligible first-offense, non-injury cases, A.R.S. 28-1385 allows 30 days of suspension followed by at least 60 days of restricted driving if screening is completed, and it also allows SIIRDL in lieu of that restricted path on request.
Under A.R.S. 28-1321, refusal or failure to successfully complete the test leads to a 12-month suspension for a first refusal and 24 months for a second refusal within 84 months.
ADOT's DUI page says some first-refusal cases may qualify for SIIRDL, but a second refusal within 84 months does not qualify for the same SIIRDL path under the statute.

Hearings and stays

Arizona's administrative hearing deadline is short, and missing it usually ends the challenge path

Operationally, this deadline matters more than a generic penalty summary.

ADOT says you have 30 days from the date on the suspension notice to request a hearing to challenge the DUI administrative suspension.
A.R.S. 28-1321 and 28-1385 both state that a timely hearing request stays the suspension until the hearing is held.
The hearing is limited to the administrative statutory issues, such as arrest grounds, refusal, the existence and reliability of the test result, and related notice requirements.
ADOT separately allows summary review in Admin Per Se cases, which is narrower than a hearing and uses the submitted reports and written explanation instead of a live hearing.

Restricted driving

Restricted permits and SIIRDL are not interchangeable Arizona DUI remedies

The page should explain both options, because they serve different functions.

A DUI restricted permit generally begins only after at least 30 days of the suspension have been served and allows driving only to and from work, during work, to and from school, and to and from a treatment center within Arizona.
A SIIRDL allows broader Arizona driving with an approved interlock device if the driver is eligible and has no other open action blocking issuance.
ADOT says a SIIRDL is voluntary and waives the right to an administrative hearing on the associated DUI administrative action.
For drivers over 21, ADOT says time served with a SIIRDL issued after January 1, 2023 may count toward the overall interlock requirement, but the safest copy should still tell users to confirm the credited time with MVD.

Conviction categories

Arizona conviction-side DUI consequences depend on which statute applies and whether alcohol is involved

This is where statewide content should stay precise but not overclaim one universal outcome.

A standard DUI under A.R.S. 28-1381 generally covers BAC of 0.08 or more, impairment to the slightest degree, drug-metabolite cases, and lower 0.04 BAC rules for commercial or certain for-hire driving.
Extreme DUI under A.R.S. 28-1382 covers BAC of 0.15 or more but less than 0.20, and super extreme covers BAC of 0.20 or more.
ADOT says standard DUI generally requires a 12-month IID if alcohol is involved, extreme DUI also generally requires 12 months, super extreme requires 18 months for a first offense and 24 months for a qualifying repeat, and aggravated DUI can bring revocation plus longer IID consequences.
Drug-only DUI should be written carefully: ADOT says the standard 12-month IID rule is not required for drug-only DUI offenses after January 1, 2017, but Arizona statutes still allow court-ordered IID in some non-alcohol cases.

Repeats and aggravated

Repeat and aggravated Arizona DUI cases quickly become revocation cases, not just longer suspensions

Readers need to understand when they leave the ordinary suspension framework.

A second standard or extreme DUI within 84 months triggers a 1-year revocation under A.R.S. 28-1381 or 28-1382, and those statutes say the driver may apply for SIIRDL after completing 45 days of the revocation period.
ADOT says a third or more DUI within 7 years may lead to a 3-year revocation and continued IID requirements.
Aggravated DUI under A.R.S. 28-1383 includes driving under the influence while suspended or revoked, with a child under 15 in the vehicle, while already subject to IID, while wrong-way driving, or as a third DUI within 84 months.
Because aggravated DUI consequences vary by subsection, a statewide article should avoid stating one flat IID duration or one flat sentence for every aggravated DUI.

Interlock compliance

Arizona IID compliance is its own operating system, and mistakes can extend or restart the requirement

Operational details matter because Arizona MVD monitors provider reporting directly.

ADOT says you have 30 days from the conviction date to install the device and have the manufacturer electronically report it to MVD, and failure to comply can lead to immediate suspension.
ADOT also says your IID time does not start counting until all prerequisite suspension and conviction requirements are met and MVD has the required notice, whichever is later.
A missed 90-day calibration, early removal, or failing to reinstall within 72 hours when switching vehicles can suspend the license and restart the entire IID period.
Failed tests, missed rolling retests, tampering, or driving a vehicle without required IID can add 6 months, 12 months, or more to the requirement.

Accuracy notes

Where people get tripped up

Do not collapse Arizona refusal suspensions under A.R.S. 28-1321 and test-result Admin Per Se suspensions under A.R.S. 28-1385 into one rule. The lengths, hearing issues, and SIIRDL paths differ.
Keep hearing language conservative and action-specific. The 30-day deadline applies to Arizona's DUI administrative notices; criminal court deadlines and procedures are separate.
Do not write as if every Arizona DUI conviction produces the same IID period. Standard, extreme, super extreme, repeat, and aggravated categories differ, and some non-alcohol cases are treated differently.
Use careful wording around SIIRDL credit and start dates. Arizona statutes allow credit for approved IID time, but ADOT's current pages still tell drivers to confirm eligibility and credited time with MVD.
Do not promise one universal court penalty chart. Arizona's statutes set offense-specific minimums, and revocation, jail, fines, and IID can all change with priors, alcohol level, injury facts, and the aggravated-DUI subsection.

FAQ

Common questions

If I request an Arizona DUI hearing, does that stop the suspension?
For Arizona implied-consent and Admin Per Se actions, yes. ADOT and the governing statutes say a timely hearing request stays the suspension until the hearing is held.
What happens if I refuse the chemical test in Arizona?
A first refusal generally causes a 12-month suspension and a second refusal within 84 months generally causes a 24-month suspension. Arizona also ties reinstatement after refusal to alcohol or drug screening, and some first-refusal cases may qualify for SIIRDL.
Does getting a SIIRDL preserve my hearing rights?
No. ADOT says a SIIRDL is voluntary and that accepting it waives the right to an administrative hearing on the related DUI administrative action.
When does my Arizona ignition interlock time actually start?
Arizona statutes tie the IID period to completion of screening, education, or treatment and to being otherwise eligible to reinstate. ADOT's IID page adds that time does not start until the suspension timing and MVD conviction-notice requirements are satisfied, whichever is later.
Does every Arizona DUI conviction require ignition interlock?
Not every one in the same way. Alcohol-involved DUI convictions commonly trigger IID, but ADOT says the standard 12-month IID rule is not required for drug-only DUI offenses after January 1, 2017, and Arizona statutes also allow some non-alcohol IID orders by court.

Sources

Official references used for this page

Related services