So, you’re getting ready to apply for a hearing to get your license back and you need a substance abuse assessment, 10-panel drug screen and letters from others who can testify to your sobriety and lifestyle change. It’s been a challenging and expensive process and you want to do it right the first time. Knowing the criteria the SOS hearing officer uses to determine eligibility for restoring your driver’s license would be an important starting point. Below is the criteria the SOS hearing officer evaluates you on:

Alcohol or substance abuse problems, if any, are under control and likely to remain under control.
The risk of repeating his or her past abusive behavior is a low or minimal risk.
The risk of repeating the act of operating a motor vehicle while impaired by, or under the influence of, alcohol or controlled substances or a combination of alcohol and a controlled substance or repeating any other offense is a low or minimal risk.
There’s a motivation and likelihood to drive safely and within the law.

Each one of the above bullets are critical in demonstrating if you are going to have a favorable outcome at your hearing. This is why the substance abuse evaluation plays a crucial role in the successful outcome of your hearing. The areas covered on the substance abuse assessment are as follows:

Lifetime Conviction History – I will be relying on you to provide me with accurate information because this section must include a listing of all crimes involving drugs or alcohol. You may want to refer to your driving record and criminal records in searching for this information. It’s often helpful to get a print out of your driving record from the Secretary of State prior to coming to the assessment. This provides specific dates on all documented citations.
Lifetime Treatment History for Alcohol and/or Drug Abuse – The only way for me to know about your treatment history is to learn about it from you. The hearing officer will want to know about all the treatment you’ve completed, including in or out-patient treatment, and even driver intervention classes. I will explain your experience with each treatment intervention and how they might have helped you gain insight into your drinking/drug problem and make necessary changes to your lifestyle to support ongoing abstinence.
Lifetime Support Group History – If you’ve ever gone to AA or any other 12-step program, then such attendance or participation should be listed here. Also included can be any involvement in the faith-based community or other social sober supports.
Diagnostic Impression – There will be a diagnosis given based on my interview with you, your scores on the test administered, and my review of your letters and urinalysis.
Lifetime Abstinence: This section identifies periods of abstinence and reasons for relapse. It will be important for the hearing officer to see that your current period of abstinence is stable and of low risk for returning to alcohol and or drug use.
Client Prognosis – This is the section where a poor, guarded, fair, good, and excellent prognosis will be given and the reasons for selected choice. In order to receive a favorable outcome at your hearing the hearing officer will want to see a “good prognosis” on the substance abuse evaluation. If your assessment has a poor, guarded, or fair prognosis the hearing officer will most likely deny your reinstatement.
Continuum of Care – If future treatment intervention is recommended then I will state this in this section, along with the reasons I believe this to be true. I will also indicate whether or not I believe you need continued involvement in formal social sober supports.
Analysis and Other Observations/Factors – If you are addicted to drugs or alcohol then it is often helpful to make lifestyle changes to support your sobriety. If this is true in your case then I will include this information here, and describe why I think it is important to your case.

Through a urinalysis an 11-panel drug screen will also be administered at the time of assessment. This saves time and money as most other substance abuse evaluators send their clients to a separate laboratory for the drug screen that includes an additional trip and fee.

Below is a link to the SOS webpage that contains the application to send in for a request for Hearing. Simply print out the form and follow the instructions.

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/SOS257_258_Request_for_Hearing_432399_7.pdf

Call my office for a free screening to determine if you are a good candidate for a successful outcome at your driver’s license appeal hearing at (517) 416-2010.