NC DWI Assessment in Durham and Raleigh | Dharma Counseling Service

Required for everyone convicted of DWI in North Carolina, and the first step to a Limited Driving Privilege.

A DWI substance abuse assessment is required of everyone convicted of Driving While Impaired in North Carolina, and you cannot receive a Limited Driving Privilege without one. Only facilities licensed by the State of North Carolina can conduct DWI assessments and groups that count towards restoring your driver’s license.

The assessment is an alcohol and drug use evaluation. It consists of an interview with a licensed or certified substance abuse counselor and a structured questionnaire to determine whether a person has a problem with alcohol or drugs. Possible outcomes are no alcohol or drug use disorder, or a mild, moderate or severe alcohol and/or drug use disorder.

Allow at least 90 minutes for the assessment and related paperwork. If you bring your lifetime driving record (we can help you get it) and the printout of your breath or blood test, you can leave with all the paperwork you need for your attorney, the court or the NC Division of Motor Vehicles.

Dharma Counseling Service is licensed by NC DWI Services and will complete your assessment in a professional, confidential and timely manner. We can often complete an assessment the day you call.

Cost

Every NC DWI assessment costs $100. The fee is set by the North Carolina Legislature, and no agency in the state may charge more or less. The full fee is collected at the time of the assessment. We charge no administrative or other fees, except for out-of-state transfers.

If you have your assessment with us, we will bill your insurance for any group counseling the assessment requires.

Why get your assessment done as soon as possible

In North Carolina, a DWI assessment is usually required before you can receive a Limited Driving Privilege. It is always required to receive the privilege 10 days into the 30-day civil revocation.
It shortens the time you can’t drive during your civil revocation.
It is the first step in completing the NC Division of Motor Vehicles requirements for DWI assessment and education, counseling or treatment.
A DWI assessment is a mitigating factor at trial and can reduce the level of punishment, possibly helping you avoid active jail time.
You find out in advance where you stand with your substance abuse requirements.

You can choose any licensed NC DWI agency you like. The cost of a DWI assessment and ADETS is the same at every state-approved DWI program in North Carolina.

Enrolling in the recommended treatment before your court date can be an advantage at trial, and many attorneys now recommend enrolling at the time of your assessment. Ask your attorney for advice on this.

If you live outside North Carolina

If you live in another state and received an NC DWI, we can help you complete your assessment and your classes or counseling without returning to North Carolina. You can meet all the requirements by receiving services where you live.

What to bring to your DWI assessment

Your lifetime driving record from the DMV. It must be signed or stamped by the NC DMV, and you need one from every state you have been licensed in. If you don’t have it, we will order it online while you are at our office. If we can’t get it that way, we will go to the DMV for you.
Proof of your breath or blood test reading (BAC), or proof of refusal. You will probably have this with your ticket. You can also get it from your attorney, the Clerk of Court or possibly the NC DMV.
Your ticket (citation), if you have it.
The $100 assessment fee in cash, debit or credit card, or money order. If you pay by check, you may have to wait 10 days for it to clear before you receive your results.
Come alcohol- and drug-free. Don’t drink or use other substances before your appointment.

We can’t finalize the results of your assessment until we have written proof of your BAC reading, or proof of refusal (usually shown on your driving record). If you don’t have it at your appointment, you can get a copy from the clerk’s office or have your attorney fax it to us.

NC DWI law requires that a certified copy of your driving record be reviewed at the assessment. We complete DWI assessment “508” forms online, which speeds up the turnaround.

Placement levels

The assessment places you in one of five levels of class or treatment. These placement requirements are set by NC DHHS DWI Services and must be followed by every licensed DWI provider in the state. Each level has a minimum number of contact hours and a minimum length of time, codified in section 122C-142.1 of the North Carolina General Statutes, “Substance abuse services for those convicted of driving while impaired, or driving after drinking by person under 21.”

Under state rules, an assessment is valid for only 6 months. Counseling or ADETS must start within 6 months of the assessment date, or the state requires a new assessment.

Level	Usually for	Minimum
I: ADETS	First lifetime DWI, BAC .14 or less, no refusal, no substance use disorder	16 hours over 5 sessions
II: Short-term	More than one DWI, a refused breath test or BAC .15 or higher; mild substance use disorder	20 hours over 30 days
III: Longer-term	Moderate substance use disorder	40 hours over 60 days
IV: Intensive outpatient	Moderate to severe substance use disorder	90 hours over 90 days
V: Inpatient	Severe substance use disorder, followed by outpatient care	Completes 90 days

We offer Levels I to IV. The full criteria for each level follow.

Level I: DWI education (ADETS)

Alcohol and Drug Education Traffic School.

First DUI/DWI conviction (total lifetime).
Arrest BAC of .14 or less.
Did not refuse the breath test.
No substance use disorder diagnosis, as determined by ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) criteria after a comprehensive alcohol and drug use evaluation.
At least 16 contact hours over no fewer than 5 sessions.

Level II: DWI short-term treatment

More than one DUI/DWI in your lifetime.
Refused the breath test.
BAC of .15 or greater.
DSM-5 diagnosis of substance use disorder, mild.
Meets ASAM Level I program placement criteria.
At least 20 but fewer than 40 contact hours, lasting at least 30 days.

Level III: longer-term treatment

DSM-5 diagnosis of substance use disorder, moderate.
Meets ASAM Level I program placement criteria.
At least 40 but fewer than 90 contact hours, lasting at least 60 days.

Level IV: intensive outpatient treatment

DSM-5 diagnosis of substance use disorder, moderate to severe.
Meets ASAM Level II program placement criteria.
At least 90 contact hours, lasting at least 90 days.
Health insurers, the State of North Carolina, ASAM and NC DWI Services require an intensive outpatient program (IOP) to schedule groups at least 3 sessions a week, 3 hours each, for a total of 9 hours of treatment per week. The program may be preceded by a brief inpatient stay for detoxification or to stabilize a medical or psychiatric condition.

Level V: inpatient or residential treatment

DSM-5 diagnosis of substance use disorder, severe.
After discharge from inpatient treatment, the state requires you to enroll in an approved continuing care or outpatient program to complete the 90-day time frame.

There should be no significant gap between inpatient or residential treatment and the start of the 90-day follow-up, and no return to alcohol or drug use, even in small amounts, before it. If more than a couple of weeks pass between residential treatment and the follow-up, or if there has been any substance use, you will likely have to begin a new treatment program.

North Carolina law allows up to 15 days of credit for inpatient treatment in place of a mandatory active sentence. However, an inpatient facility can admit someone only if they meet the ASAM diagnostic criteria for that level of treatment. Admission is based solely on medical or psychiatric necessity, not on a legal requirement or personal preference. A facility that ignores the ASAM criteria can lose its license and accreditation and puts payments from private insurers at risk.

Paid your fees but can’t get your license restored?

The most common reason for a delay is that the client didn’t tell the assessing agency their conviction date. DWI assessment and counseling agencies have no way of knowing when a case is resolved in court, whether by conviction or dismissal.

Until we know the case has been resolved and the date, we can’t complete the “508” form, which is the document the State of North Carolina needs to process the restoration of your driving record. The state requires the correct conviction date before it will release a license for restoration. It is always up to you to tell the assessing agency your conviction date, so please let us know as soon as your case is resolved.