§ 39-20-05 Administrative hearing on request

Codes > North Dakota Century Code > Title 39 > Chapter 39-20 > 39-20-05 Administrative

§ 39-20-05. Administrative hearing on request

    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. 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, 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 or 39-20-03 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 a certified copy of the checklist and test records from a certified breath test operator establish prima facie the alcohol concentration or the presence of drugs, or a combination thereof, shown therein. Whether the individual was informed 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 39-20-01 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. Whether the person was informed 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 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 a law enforcement officer or 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 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.

    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.