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DUI lawyer in Columbus: 30 days to save your license
A OVI arrest in Columbus starts a license case and a court case.
Answered day and night. A professional goes through your Columbus case for free and puts you through to an Ohio OVI lawyer.
Arrested for OVI in Columbus? 30 days to ask for the hearing.
Counted from your first court date. If that was today, day 30 is Sunday, November 8, so ask before then.
The license deadline here
The BMV can suspend your license unless a hearing is requested within 30 days from your first court date. That deadline comes before your court date, and missing it can cost you the right to drive.
The rule is the same in Columbus as anywhere else in Ohio: at your initial appearance or within 30 days after it, in the court hearing the charge. The court date on your citation does not pause it (Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles).
Newest Ohio change. Ohio’s OVI law took its current form on April 9, 2025, under Senate Bill 100 and House Bill 37. (Ohio Revised Code 4511.19)
What a first offense costs in Columbus
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Fine | $565 to $1,075 |
| Jail | a mandatory 3 consecutive days (72 hours), or a driver intervention program |
| License | a court suspension of 1 to 3 years for the basic first-offense provision |
Ohio sets these ranges, and the judge picks inside them. The state’s penalty page has the full text, and the Ohio OVI page covers second offenses and interlocks.
The court your OVI attorney appears in
An OVI arrest in Columbus usually goes to Franklin County Municipal Court, which hears traffic and misdemeanor criminal cases. Despite its name, the court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government.
The court: Franklin County Municipal Court.
The Ohio OVI page has the whole state’s rules, and the BAC calculator shows what a reading can mean.
Save your license before the deadline
Every day you wait takes time from the 30 days you have after your first court date. The professional who answers looks over your Columbus case for free, any hour of the night. You are then connected with an Ohio DUI defense lawyer, who can request the police reports and start on your defense.
Review my Ohio case (877) 317-9931
Answered day and night. A professional goes through your Columbus case for free and puts you through to an Ohio OVI lawyer.
Send your case details
Send the date of your Columbus arrest and the date on your BMV notice. A DUI lawyer who takes Columbus cases needs those two dates first.