What a Michigan license restoration hearing requires: evaluation, drug screen and letters

A Michigan restoration hearing turns on evidence the driver files. For a revocation based on alcohol or drug offenses, the hearing will not be scheduled at all without a current substance abuse evaluation, and the hearing officer may require a drug screen and evidence from at least 3 independent sources about the driver's use of alcohol and drugs.^[1][2]

This guide goes through each item the rules and the Secretary of State ask for, and what each one is meant to show. The hearing itself, and the legal standard, are covered in license restoration hearings.

What the evidence has to prove

The hearing officer may not order a license unless the driver proves by clear and convincing evidence that any alcohol or substance problem is under control and likely to stay that way, that the risk of repeating past abusive behavior and of impaired driving is low or minimal, and that the driver has the ability and motivation to drive safely and within the law.^[7] The driver must also prove complete abstinence for the required period.^[5] Every document below is evidence on one or more of those points.

The Secretary of State's checklist

As fetched on 25 October 2026, the Secretary of State's checklist for a revocation or denial hearing lists:^[3][8]

Item	What the Secretary of State says
Driving record	Order the most current record to confirm eligibility and help complete the request[8]
Form SOS-257, Hearing Request Application	The formal request for the hearing[3]
Form SOS-258, Substance Use Evaluation	Required if the person was ever arrested for an alcohol or drug offense; completed by a qualified evaluator[3][9]
Laboratory drug screen	12-panel urinalysis with at least two integrity variables; instant tests are not accepted[3]
Community support letters	From 3 to 6 people; not needed if witnesses will testify[3]
Ignition interlock report	If applicable, dated within 30 days of submission[3]
Form DA-4P medical report	If the person takes medication for addiction, pain, or a mental or physical condition[3]
Proof of support or treatment	Such as AA, other support groups, or therapy[3]

The form numbers come from the Secretary of State's page. Forms are revised from time to time, so the current versions are the ones posted by the Secretary of State.

The substance use evaluation

For an alcohol or drug revocation or denial, the hearing office will not schedule the hearing unless the request includes a current substance abuse evaluation on the department's form. "Current" means dated no more than 3 months before the department receives it.^[1] The hearing officer may also require a current evaluation at the hearing.^[2]

The Secretary of State says the evaluator should be qualified to diagnose substance abuse and give opinions, must be neutral, and must not help the client prepare for the hearing. It does not recommend specific evaluators and points to the state's MiSUD locator.^[10]

The evaluation can also affect the abstinence period. A diagnosis of past or present alcohol or drug dependency is one of the kinds of evidence a hearing officer may consider in requiring 12 months rather than 6.^[11]

The drug screen

The rules let the hearing officer require a current urinalysis drug screen to corroborate the presence or absence of alcohol or controlled substances.^[2] The Secretary of State's current checklist calls for a 12-panel laboratory screen with at least two integrity variables, such as creatinine, specific gravity or pH, and says instant tests are not accepted.^[3]

The same Secretary of State page also contains an older FAQ describing an 11-panel screen.^[12] The current checklist says 12-panel.^[3] Since the page is inconsistent, confirming with OHAO which panel it currently requires avoids a rejected test.

Community support letters and witnesses

The rules let the hearing officer require evidence from at least 3 independent sources corroborating the driver's behavior with alcohol and controlled substances, and let the driver submit letters from other people documenting that behavior.^[2] The Secretary of State asks for letters from 3 to 6 people, or witnesses who appear in place of letters.^[3] For an out-of-state review, letters are mandatory.^[13]

The Secretary of State's guidance for letter writers asks for a detailed, unique letter, typed or handwritten, that is notarized and covers:^[6]

• the writer's relationship to the applicant, how long they have known them and how often they see them;^[6]
• the applicant's past and current alcohol and drug use, including marijuana, and when they last used;^[6]
• the applicant's treatment and how the writer has seen them change over time.^[6]

The guidance says the purpose of the letter is to document the applicant's sobriety, that it will be used as evidence in the case, and that the writer's honesty is essential.^[6] Each letter is the writer's own account; the guidance asks for a unique letter rather than a shared template.^[6]

Proof of abstinence and the 6- or 12-month rule

Under the rules, "abstinence" means refraining completely from any amount of any alcoholic beverage or controlled substance, except a controlled substance prescribed by a licensed health professional.^[4] The driver must prove by clear and convincing evidence at least 6 consecutive months of abstinence, or at least 12 consecutive months if the evidence shows a longer period is needed.^[5]

Evidence the hearing officer may consider in requiring the longer period includes:^[11]

• a chemical test showing a bodily alcohol content of at least 2 times a level set in the Vehicle Code;^[11]
• 3 or more alcohol- or drug-related convictions;^[11]
• a relapse after trying to get the problem under control;^[11]
• an evaluation diagnosing past or present dependency;^[11]
• an earlier section 303 revocation or denial for alcohol or drug convictions.^[11]

The first item cross-refers to "section 625a(9)(c)" of the Vehicle Code, a subdivision that no longer exists in the current statute; the rule was last amended in 2011.^[11][14] Converting "2 times the level" into a fixed BAC number goes beyond what the rule now says.

The rules do not mention marijuana by name. The Secretary of State's letter guidance does ask writers to describe use "including marijuana."^[6] How hearing officers treat lawful adult-use marijuana under the abstinence definition is not stated in the rules or on the Secretary of State's page.

Treatment and support records

The driver may submit proof of past and current involvement in a treatment program and in a structured support program, and any other relevant evidence.^[2] The Secretary of State's checklist mentions certificates of completion or letters verifying participation in AA, other support groups, or individual or group therapy.^[3] For a driver in the specialty court program, at the later hearing for an unrestricted license, successful completion and the judge's certificate must be considered positive evidence of abstinence during the program.^[15]

Interlock reports

A driver who has had an interlock should include a report from the provider dated within 30 days of submission.^[3] After the minimum monitoring period, the rules require a report from every provider that has installed a device for the driver.^[16] Interlock reports matter most at the next stage; see after restoration: the interlock-restricted license and ignition interlock devices.

Filing the package

Evidence can be filed online through DAIS or sent to OHAO by mail, fax or email (PDF attachments only).^[17] The Secretary of State says the driver is responsible for submitting all required documents and should keep copies of everything sent.^[8] A simple practical routine helps: keep a dated list of each item, when it was sent and how, and the confirmation received. For other records worth keeping, see papers and records to keep; for treatment options, see getting help for alcohol or drug use; and for contact details, see the Secretary of State's hearings office.