If you have been arrested for OUI and you are convicted or you have admitted to sufficient facts in exchange for a continuance without a finding (CWOF), you will be assigned to an alcohol education program. You will also be placed on probation and you may have to undergo an alcohol evaluation. It is very important to save every piece of paper you receive throughout the process. If you are applying for a hardship license the paperwork which you receive will be critical, whether you are applying at the Registry of Motor Vehicles or the Division of Insurance Board of Appeal. Examples of important documents include the docket, tender of plea or “green sheet,” proof of enrollment in the 24D program, alcohol program completion certificates & letters, the discharge summary from the 14 day DUIL program, Brains at Risk Completion Certificates, alcohol evaluations, proof of compliance with probation, receipts for payments made, alcohol or drug test results, Alcoholic Anonymous attendance records, and the discharge summary from the aftercare component of the DUIL program which lists your recidivism rate or risk of relapse.
It is often difficult to obtain additional copies of these documents months or years after they were initially issued. Therefore, you should maintain a file containing these important papers. The Board of Appeal will accept clear faxes and photocopies while the Registry requires original documents.
Some of my clients have lost their documents from the aftercare component of the DUIL program and they are having difficulty obtaining replacements because their aftercare provider is not longer in business. If you are a repeat offender, not having a discharge summary from the alcohol treatment program can be a major obstacle at a hardship license appeal hearing. Therefore, the best practice is to safeguard any document you receive regarding your treatment and/or progress. Documentation is critical at any hardship license hearing and it is often difficult to obtain replacement documents months or years after the original was issued. Sometimes, you can get copies of documents from your probation officer. However, you should not rely on this. Not all probation officers maintain complete files after supervision is terminated.