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What does my DUI notice or citation mean?
Paste the words on the paper the officer or the court gave you. You get the charge and every date on it in plain words, and nothing the paper does not say.
Which paper is which
- The citation or ticket. It starts the court case: the charge, the court and your first court date.
- The license notice. Some states call it a notice of suspension or a temporary permit. It starts the license case and often prints the days you have to ask for a hearing.
- Bail or release papers. They list the conditions you must keep until court, such as no driving or no drinking.
- A plea offer. It comes from the prosecutor later and says what charge and sentence they would accept.
The line to find first: the hearing deadline
7 to 30 days: the usual window to ask for the license hearing. Your license notice prints the exact number.
Look for words like “request a hearing within 15 days.” That line, not the court date, decides whether you keep driving while the case runs.
Once you know the day it counts from, the DUI DMV hearing counter turns it into a last day, and every state’s deadline is listed in one table.
What the reader will not do
The reader explains only the words you paste. It will not guess a deadline the paper does not print, and it does not give legal advice about your case.
A DUI lawyer reads the rest with you on the call: the police report, the test records and what to say at the hearing.
People also ask
What does a DUI citation mean?
It is the paper that starts the court case. It names the charge, the court and your first court date. It does not decide your license; that is a separate case with its own deadline.
What does a notice of suspension mean after a DUI?
It starts the license case. In many states it also works as a paper license for a short time and prints how many days you have to ask for a hearing. Miss that window and the suspension starts on its own.
Is the date on my license notice my court date?
Usually not. The notice gives the license deadline, and the citation gives the court date. The license deadline often comes first.
Does the reader keep what I paste?
No. The text is read to write your answer and is not stored. Leave out your name, address and license number anyway.
Save your license before the deadline
The paper in your hand starts the clock on your license. Call now with it in front of you, and a DUI defense lawyer for your state reads it with you tonight and files the hearing request in time.
Call about my paperwork (877) 317-9931
Answered 24/7. A professional goes through your papers for free and connects you with a DUI defense lawyer for your state.
Send your case details
Send your state and the dates on your citation and license notice. The lawyer who calls starts from those dates.