The weeks from college break and Thanksgiving Eve through New Year’s are busy ones on West Michigan roads. The Michigan State Police has called the holiday season “one of the most dangerous times of year for impaired-driving crashes,” and police agencies across Michigan have taken part in a winter “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign with increased enforcement (Michigan State Police news release, December 2025).
If you or someone in your family was arrested for OWI over the holidays, this guide puts the pages I have written on each part of the case in the order people usually need them. It is general information about Michigan law, not advice about your case.
The first days after a holiday OWI arrest
- Your license is taken at the scene. If you refuse the chemical test, or the test shows an unlawful alcohol level, the officer confiscates your license and, if you are otherwise eligible, issues a temporary license or permit on a Secretary of State form (MCL 257.625g).
- A refused test starts a 14-day clock. If you do not request a hearing within 14 days after the date of notice, the Secretary of State imposes the suspension: 1 year for a first refusal, or 2 years for a second refusal within 7 years (MCL 257.625f). More on implied consent and refusing a test.
- Courts close on the holidays themselves. Michigan law treats Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day as public holidays for the holding of courts (MCL 435.101). This season they fall on Thursday, November 26, 2026; Friday, December 25, 2026; and Friday, January 1, 2027. Each court sets its own schedule around those days, so go by the dates on your paperwork. See West Michigan courts for the court handling your case.
- The alcohol numbers in the statute. Michigan’s OWI law uses 0.08 grams per 100 milliliters of blood as the standard threshold and 0.17 or more for the high-BAC offense; drivers under 21 can be charged at 0.02 (MCL 257.625).
Your holiday OWI guide, in calendar order
November through March
Winter driving stops and arrests
A slide-off on black ice can turn into an OWI investigation. What changes about a traffic stop in snow and cold.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving
College students home on break
Minor in possession charges, and why a driver under 21 can be charged with any bodily alcohol content of 0.02 or more.
Thanksgiving to New Year’s
A first OWI arrest
What a first drunk driving charge carries in Michigan, and how these cases are defended.
Office parties and family gatherings
Refused the breath test?
A refusal carries its own license suspension, separate from the criminal case, and a 14-day deadline to request a hearing.
Holiday travel
Your license after the arrest
Where a restricted license lets you drive, and how you get your full license back.
The holiday party season
A second OWI within 7 years
Why a second offense is treated so differently from a first, and what is at stake.
January
A fresh start: OWI expungement
Michigan now allows an eligible first-offense OWI conviction to be set aside.
January
Getting a revoked license back
How driver’s license restoration hearings work after an OWI revocation.
When to call
The two dates to put on the calendar first are the 14-day refusal deadline, if you refused a test, and your first court date. Bring the citation, the temporary license or permit and any bond paperwork to a consultation, so the conversation can start with the facts of your case. For the full picture of a Michigan drunk driving charge, see drunk driving defense in Grand Rapids.
Call (616) 438-6719 Request a free consultation
Michigan law on this page was checked against the Michigan Legislature’s published statutes (MCL 257.625, 257.625f, 257.625g and 435.101) and the Michigan State Police news release linked above on September 14, 2026.