North Dakota Code 39-06.2-10.6 – Administrative hearing on request
1. Before issuing an order of suspension, revocation, or disqualification under section 39-06.2-10, the director shall afford that person an opportunity for a hearing as provided by section 39-20-05, if the person mails a request for the hearing to the director within ten days after the date of issuance of the temporary driver’s permit.
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 39-06.2-10.6
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Official: means a municipal judge or a magistrate or other qualified individual appointed by the presiding judge of the judicial district to serve for all or part of the judicial district. See North Dakota Code 39-06.1-01
- Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- written: include "typewriting" and "typewritten" and "printing" and "printed" except in the case of signatures and when the words are used by way of contrast to typewriting and printing. See North Dakota Code 1-01-37
2. If the issue to be determined by the hearing concerns license suspension for operating a commercial motor vehicle while having an alcohol concentration of at least four 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 person had been driving or was in actual physical control of a commercial motor vehicle in violation of section 39-06.2-10.1, whether the person was lawfully detained, whether the person was tested in accordance with section 39-06.2-10.2, and whether the test results show the person had an alcohol concentration of at least four 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 office of the director of the state crime laboratory or the director’s designee, or a certified copy of the checklist and test records from a certified breath test operator establish prima facie the alcohol concentration shown therein. Whether the person was warned that the privilege to drive might be suspended based on the results of the test is not an issue.
3. If the issue to be determined by the hearing concerns license revocation for refusing to submit to a test under section 39-06.2-10.2, 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 39-06.2-10.2 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 commercial motor vehicle in violation of section 39-06.2-10.1, whether the person was lawfully detained, 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 subsection 3 of section 39-06.2-10.4 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. Whether the person was warned that the privilege to drive would be revoked or denied for refusal to submit to the test or tests is not an issue.
4. At a hearing under this section, the regularly kept records of the director and the 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 the 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 a law enforcement officer, a certified copy of the checklist and test records received by the director from a certified breath test operator; and
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 received by the director from the director of the state crime laboratory or the director’s designee, that have been electronically posted with the state crime laboratory division of the attorney general at the attorney general website.
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 39-06.2-10.2 or that the person had an alcohol concentration of at least four one-hundredths of one percent by weight, the hearing officer shall immediately take possession of the person’s temporary driver’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 commercial driver’s license by regular mail to the address on file with the director under section 39-06.2-08.
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. On the date for which the hearing is scheduled, the hearing officer shall 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 39-06.2-10.7.
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.