§ 39-20-05 — Administrative hearing on request - Election to participate in the twenty-four seven sobriety program

North Dakota § 39-20-05

• Jurisdiction: North Dakota
• Title 39: Motor Vehicles
• Ch. 39-20: Chemical Test for Intoxication, Implied Consent

Text

twenty-four seven sobriety program.
1. Before issuing an order of suspension, revocation, or denial under section 39-20-04 or
39-20-04.1, the director shall afford that person an opportunity for a hearing if the
person mails or communicates by other means authorized by the director a request for
the hearing to the director within ten days after the date of issuance of the temporary
operator's permit. Upon completion of the hearing, an individual may elect to
participate in the twenty-four seven sobriety program under chapter 54-12. The
hearing must be held within thirty days after the date of issuance of the temporary
operator's permit. If no hearing is requested within the time limits in this section, and
no affidavit is submitted within the time limits under subsection 2 of section 39-20-04,
and if the individual has not provided the director with written notice of election to
participate in the twenty-four seven sobriety program under chapter 54-12, the
expiration of the temporary operator's permit serves as the director's official notification
to the person of the revocation, suspension, or denial of driving privileges in this state.
2. If the issue to be determined by the hearing concerns license suspension for operating
a motor vehicle while having an alcohol concentration of at least eight one-hundredths
of one percent by weight or, with respect to an individual under twenty-one years of
age, an alcohol concentration of at least two one-hundredths of one percent by weight,
the hearing must be before a hearing officer assigned by the director and at a time and
place designated by the director. The hearing must be recorded and its scope may
cover only the issues of whether the arresting officer had reasonable grounds to
believe the individual had been driving or was in actual physical control of a vehicle in
violation of section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance or, with respect to an individual
under twenty-one years of age, the individual had been driving or was in actual
physical control of a vehicle while having an alcohol concentration of at least two
one-hundredths of one percent by weight; whether the individual was placed under
arrest, unless the individual was under twenty-one years of age and the alcohol
concentration was less than eight one-hundredths of one percent by weight, then
arrest is not required and is not an issue under any provision of this chapter; whether
the individual was tested in accordance with section 39-20-01 and, if applicable,
section 39-20-02; and whether the test results show the individual had an alcohol
concentration of at least eight one-hundredths of one percent by weight or, with
respect to an individual under twenty-one years of age, an alcohol concentration of at
least two one-hundredths of one percent by weight. For purposes of this section, a
copy of a certified copy of an analytical report of a blood or urine sample from the
director of the state crime laboratory or the director's designee, or electronically posted
by the director of the state crime laboratory or the director's designee on the crime
laboratory information management system and certified by a law enforcement officer
or individual who has authorized access to the crime laboratory management system
through the criminal justice data information sharing system or a certified copy of the
checklist and test records from a certified breath test operator, and a copy of a certified
copy of a certificate of the director of the state crime laboratory designating the
director's designees, establish prima facie the alcohol concentration or the presence of
drugs, or a combination thereof, shown therein.
3. If the issue to be determined by the hearing concerns license revocation for refusing to
submit to a test under section 39-20-01 or 39-20-14, the hearing must be before a
hearing officer assigned by the director at a time and place designated by the director.
The hearing must be recorded. The scope of a hearing for refusing to submit to a test
under section 39-20-01 may cover only the issues of whether a law enforcement
officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been driving or was in actual

physical control of a vehicle in violation of section 39-08-01 or equivalent ordinance or,
with respect to a person under twenty-one years of age, the person had been driving
or was in actual physical control of a vehicle while having an alcohol concentration of
at least two one-hundredths of one percent by weight; whether the person was placed
under arrest; and whether that person refused to submit to the test or tests. The scope
of a hearing for refusing to submit to a test under section 39-20-14 may cover only the
issues of whether the law enforcement officer had reason to believe the person
committed a moving traffic violation or was involved in a traffic accident as a driver,
whether in conjunction with the violation or the accident the officer has, through the
officer's observations, formulated an opinion that the person's body contains alcohol
and, whether the person refused to submit to the onsite screening test.
4. At a hearing under this section, the regularly kept records of the director and state
crime laboratory may be introduced. Those records establish prima facie their contents
without further foundation. For purposes of this chapter, the following are deemed
regularly kept records of the director and state crime laboratory:
a. Any copy of a certified copy of an analytical report of a blood or urine sample
received by the director from the director of the state crime laboratory or the
director's designee or electronically posted by the director of the state crime
laboratory or the director's designee on the crime laboratory information
management system and certified by, and received from, a law enforcement
officer or an individual who has authorized access to the crime laboratory
management system through the criminal justice data information sharing
system, or a certified copy of the checklist and test records received by the
director from a certified breath test operator;
b. Any copy of a certified copy of a certificate of the director of the state crime
laboratory or the director's designee relating to approved methods, devices,
operators, materials, and checklists used for testing for alcohol concentration or
the presence of drugs received by the director from the director of the state crime
laboratory or the director's designee, or that have been electronically posted with
the state crime laboratory division of the attorney general at the attorney general
website; and
c. Any copy of a certified copy of a certificate of the director of the state crime
laboratory designating the director's designees.
5. At the close of the hearing, the hearing officer shall notify the person of the hearing
officer's findings of fact, conclusions of law, and decision based on the findings and
conclusions and shall immediately deliver to the person a copy of the decision. If the
hearing officer does not find in favor of the person, the copy of the decision serves as
the director's official notification to the person of the revocation, suspension, or denial
of driving privileges in this state. If the hearing officer finds, based on a preponderance
of the evidence, that the person refused a test under section 39-20-01 or 39-20-14 or
that the person had an alcohol concentration of at least eight one-hundredths of one
percent by weight or, with respect to a person under twenty-one years of age, an
alcohol concentration of at least two one-hundredths of one percent by weight, the
hearing officer shall immediately take possession of the person's temporary operator's
permit issued under this chapter. If the hearing officer does not find against the person,
the hearing officer shall sign, date, and mark on the person's permit an extension of
driving privileges for the next twenty days and shall return the permit to the person.
The hearing officer shall report the findings, conclusions, and decisions to the director
within ten days of the conclusion of the hearing. If the hearing officer has determined
in favor of the person, the director shall return the person's operator's license by
regular mail to the address on file with the director under section 39-06-20.
6. If the person who requested a hearing under this section fails to appear at the hearing
without justification, the right to the hearing is waived, and the hearing officer's
determination on license revocation, suspension, or denial will be based on the written
request for hearing, law enforcement officer's report, and other evidence as may be
available. The hearing officer shall, on the date for which the hearing is scheduled,

mail to the person, by regular mail, at the address on file with the director under
section 39-06-20, or at any other address for the person or the person's legal
representative supplied in the request for hearing, a copy of the decision which serves
as the director's official notification to the person of the revocation, suspension, or
denial of driving privileges in this state. Even if the person for whom the hearing is
scheduled fails to appear at the hearing, the hearing is deemed to have been held on
the date for which it is scheduled for purposes of appeal under section 39-20-06.
7. A hearing under this section may be conducted in whole or in part by telephone,
television, virtual online interface, or other electronic means with the consent of the
licensee. A hearing officer may provide a notice, decision, or order under this section
by mail or other means as authorized by the director.