Legislative Update: DUI Arrestee Driver’s License Tax. When you are arrested for DUI in Georgia, generally you must send a letter to save your Georgia Driver’s license within 10 business days to prevent your license from being suspended administratively for your DUI arrest. This is commonly known as the “10-day letter.”  This letter used to be free of charge. Not anymore.  Starting on May 13, 2010, these letters will have to be accompanied by a $150.00 filing fee. Changes to O.C.G.A. §40-5-67.1 from House Bill 1055 enacted at the 2010 Session of the Georgia General Assembly require payment of a filing fee of $150.00 to appeal a Georgia DUI administrative license suspension or Georgia DUI implied consent suspension (less safe, per se or refusal).

The new DUI filing fee applies to any DUI arrest occurring on or after May 13, 2010. The filing fee should be submitted with the DUI license suspension appeal letter within ten (10) business days of the incident. Checks and money orders are the preferred forms of payment, and they should be made payable to the Department of Driver Services (DDS). The DDS will be contacting “customers”/DUI attorneys in writing if the filing fee is not sent with the appeal, and the State will be amending the DDS-1205 form to reflect the fee requirement on the violator’s copy.  Our DUI law firm will still send the letter for free of charge but it must be accompanied by a check or money order of $150.00 from the client made payable to the Department of Driver Services.