Who holds the hearing
Your request goes to the Office of Hearings and Administrative Oversight (OHAO), part of the Michigan Department of State. Older letters and forms may use its former name, the Driver Assessment and Appeal Division (DAAD). The hearing itself is held over Microsoft Teams video, with a hearing officer.
The items Michigan lists
Here is the Department of State’s list, item by item:
- Your driving record
- Hearing Request Application (Form SOS-257)
- Substance Use Evaluation (Form SOS-258), if you have ever been arrested for an alcohol or drug-related offense, completed by a qualified substance abuse evaluator
- A 12-panel laboratory drug screen (instant tests are not accepted)
- Community support letters from 3–6 people, for revocation or denial hearings
Lists like this change, so compare yours with the current one on michigan.gov’s license restoration page (opens in a new tab) before you file.
Does your packet need a substance use evaluation?
Only if you have been arrested, at any point, for an alcohol or drug-related offense. In that case the state wants a Substance Use Evaluation on Form SOS-258, and a qualified substance abuse evaluator has to complete it. Not sure it applies to you? Ask your attorney, or look it up on the Department of State’s page.
The appointment takes about 60 minutes: an interview with the evaluator, questions about your drinking or drug use and your driving and legal record, a psychosocial evaluation and standardized screening tools. The finished SOS-258 gives DSM-5 diagnostic impressions, treatment recommendations and a prognosis, and it goes in your packet with the other items.
What your evaluator can’t help with
Michigan’s rules have your evaluator stay neutral. That means the evaluator can’t help you get ready for the hearing or tell you what to say there. For that kind of help, the Department of State points you to its license restoration page or to your lawyer.
Booking the evaluation with Schroeder Counseling
Jennifer Schroeder, M.S., CADC completes the SOS-258 evaluation by secure video. The standard evaluation is $200; Fast Track, for a hearing date that is close, is $300. See the Michigan license restoration evaluation page for report timing and what the evaluation includes.
Whether an online evaluation fits your case is for the hearing officer to decide. If you are unsure, ask your attorney or the Michigan Department of State before you book. Questions about the evaluation itself? Call (734) 834-6934.
If a court has ordered a substance abuse evaluation in a criminal case, see our substance abuse evaluation page. And if you are also taking a class with us, its letter of completion carries a certificate ID that anyone can check at schroedercounseling.com/verify.