Travis County, TX DWI: courts, hearing, occupational license & reinstatement (2026)
Where a DWI case in Travis County is heard, where and by when the administrative hearing is requested, where an occupational or hardship license is filed for, and where the license is reinstated. Every item below is cited to the county clerk, the court's own site, the state agency or the statute; the state rules that apply are Texas's and are quoted from the Texas record.
The short answers for this county
Where to request the administrative hearing
State Office of Administrative Hearings, Austin office (300 W. 15th Street, Suite 504, Austin, TX 78701): the SOAH office that services Travis County for driver's license hearings (Source: soah.texas.gov)
By when: 15 days from the notice (Source: dps.texas.gov)
Which court handles the case
- Travis County Courts at Law 3 to 9 (criminal), Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center · DWI misdemeanorBlackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W 11th St, Austin, TX 78701traviscountytx.gov · Source: traviscountytx.gov
- Travis County Criminal District Courts, Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center · DWI felony, occupational licenseBlackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W 11th St, Austin, TX 78701traviscountytx.gov · Source: traviscountytx.gov
Where to file for an occupational or hardship license
District Clerk (the Travis County district courts): the District Clerk's filing-fee schedule carries an 'Essential Need Driver's License (Occupational)' petition (Source: traviscountytx.gov)
Filing fee: $350.00 base filing fee (Source: traviscountytx.gov)
County fees
| Item | Amount | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential need (occupational) driver's license petition, District Clerk base filing fee | $350.00 | 2026-09 | traviscountytx.gov |
Court program: Travis County DWI Court Program, County Court at Law #7
Eligibility, as the court states it: As the court states it: a twelve-month or longer program for repeat DWI offenders. Eligibility criteria: 18 years and older; resident of Travis County; a DWI 2nd or subsequent arrest within 2 years of the first arrest or conviction; no victim involvement; no unresolved holds or warrants from other jurisdictions; no unresolved pending cases; has not previously received an assessment and been referred to counseling for the same offense; criminal history evaluated case by case, with no violent history, no stalking or protective-order violations and no history unrelated to alcohol or substance abuse. Applications are evaluated by the County Attorney's and District Attorney's offices. (Source: traviscountytx.gov)
State rules that apply here: Texas
The interlock, cost and restricted-license rules are set by Texas law and the Texas licensing agency, not by the county. They are rendered here from the Texas record and cited there.
The short answers
Do I need an interlock?
- First offense
- Required only above a high-BAC threshold
- Threshold
- BAC 0.15
- Minimum period
- When ordered as a community-supervision condition
What the source says (4)
- First offense
“(b) The court may require as a condition of community supervision that a defendant placed on community supervision after conviction of an offense under Sections 49.04-49.08, Penal Code, have an ignition interlock device installed”
- Minimum period
“order the device to remain installed on that vehicle for a period the length of which is not less than 50 percent of the supervision period.”
- Threshold
“(1) it is shown on the trial of the offense that an analysis of a specimen of the defendant's blood, breath, or urine showed an alcohol concentration level of 0.15 or more at the time the analysis was performed;”
- First offense
“(c) The court shall require as a condition of community supervision that a defendant described by Subsection (b) have an ignition interlock device installed”
What it costs here
- State reinstatement fee
- $100
- Restricted-license fee
- $10
- Reduced-cost rule
- Available — see exemptions below
- Interlock lease, national range
- $50–$150 per month
What the source says (3)
- State reinstatement fee
“Serve a Driver license suspension for a period not to exceed two years and pay a $100 Reinstatement fee , in addition to paying any other outstanding fees;”
- Restricted-license fee
“A certified copy of the petition and a certified copy of the court order granting the occupational license. The judge has the authority to grant an occupational order. If you are participating in a special drug court program, the petition is not required.”
- Reduced-cost rule
“the judge may enter in the record a finding that the defendant is indigent and reduce the costs to the defendant by ordering a waiver of the installation charge for the ignition interlock device and a 50 percent reduction of the monthly device monitoring fee.”
How to drive legally now
- Restricted license
- Available after a first offense · Occupational Driver License
- Waiting period
- No waiting period
- Hearing-request deadline
- 15 days from the notice
- Driving after a DWI in Texas: the restricted license
- How to get a license back in Texas
- Date the hearing deadline with the timeline calculator
What the source says (3)
- Restricted license
“An occupational driver license, also called an essential need license, is a special type of restricted license issued to you when your driver license has been suspended, revoked or denied for certain offenses, other than a medical reason or delinquent child support.”
- Waiting period
“Deletes existing text of Section 521.251 (Effective Date of Occupational License).”
- Hearing-request deadline
“You have 15 days from the date the notice is served to request a hearing to contest your driver license suspension and/or disqualification. If a hearing is not requested, the suspension goes into effect on the 40th day after you were served notice.”
Approved providers are approved statewide by the Texas agency; the list below is the state list. Installation locations are on each provider's own locator.
Approved interlock providers
Vendors listed here appear on the Texas licensing agency's approved-device list. Listing order is alphabetical and is not a ranking or endorsement. Installation locations are on each vendor's own locator.
Where to get it installed — the official approved-installer list: Agency approved-vendor list
Other devices on the agency list (6)
These names also appear on the Texas agency list. Their makers publish no website this site has confirmed, so the agency list is the only link.
- Alcohol Analytics Systems
- Autosense International, Inc
- Blow and Drive Interlock
- Clean Start Systems
- Instant Interlock
- Smart Alco Solutions LLC
Sources
- Travis County Courts at Law 3 to 9 (criminal), Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center (traviscountytx.gov)
- Travis County Courts at Law 3 to 9 (criminal), Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center — website (traviscountytx.gov)
- Travis County Criminal District Courts, Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center (traviscountytx.gov)
- Travis County Criminal District Courts, Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center — website (traviscountytx.gov)
- Administrative hearing (soah.texas.gov)
- Occupational / hardship license (traviscountytx.gov)
- Travis County DWI Court Program, County Court at Law #7 (traviscountytx.gov)
Record history
- — record: Travis County record verified against primary sources: County Court at Law #3 and 147th District Court pages (Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W 11th St), criminal county and district court indexes, the District Clerk 2026 filing-fee schedule (Essential Need Driver's License (Occupational) base filing fee $350), the Travis County DWI Court Program page (County Court at Law #7), State Office of Administrative Hearings county service areas (Austin office). Reinstatement office, interlock authority and hearing-request procedure stay null.