A DUI clinical evaluation is a face-to-face interview with a state-approved evaluator that looks at your alcohol and drug use and decides whether you need treatment. In Georgia you need one to reinstate your license after two or more DUI convictions within 10 years, or whenever a court orders it. Athena DUI Academy offers DUI clinical evaluations in Athens for $150.
If you've just been told you need an evaluation, this page explains what it is, what happens in the room, what the rules require afterward and how it fits with DUI school and your license.
What is a DUI clinical evaluation?
Georgia's rules define a clinical evaluation as the process used to diagnose a person's substance abuse or dependence and, if needed, refer them to the right treatment. It's run under the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), not DDS. DBHDD keeps a Registry of Clinical Evaluators and a Registry of Treatment Providers, and an evaluation only counts if it's done by an evaluator on the registry at a DBHDD-approved location.
Who needs a clinical evaluation in Georgia?
| Situation | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| Two or more DUI convictions within 10 years | DDS requires documented proof of a state-approved clinical evaluation before you can reinstate your license. |
| Second DUI within 5 years | DDS's DUI chart lists evaluation and treatment as required, and the interlock limited permit rules require enrollment in qualifying treatment or a drug court. |
| First DUI | DDS's chart says DDS doesn't require an evaluation to reinstate a first DUI within five years, but courts may include it as a condition of probation. DBHDD's page says all DUI offenders are required to have one. |
| Under 21, second offense | DDS's chart lists evaluation and treatment for a second underage DUI. |
Your sentencing paperwork, probation conditions or DDS record will tell you whether an evaluation applies to you. If you aren't sure, ask the court, your probation officer or your attorney. We explain the repeat-offense rules in Second DUI in Georgia: the clinical evaluation.
The evaluation process, step by step
Georgia's DBHDD rules (Chapter 82-2-1) spell out each step. Here they are in order.
- Finish DUI school first if you can. The rules require the evaluator to review the standardized screening you took at the Risk Reduction Program, and DDS policy requires the school to send your assessment results to your evaluator within five business days of the request. If you still need DUI school, see DUI school in Athens.
- Choose an evaluator on DBHDD's registry. Evaluations can only be given at DBHDD-approved locations by registered evaluators.
- Sign a written contract. Rule 82-2-1-.09 requires a DBHDD-approved contract, with a copy given to you before any service.
- The clinical interview. A face-to-face conversation that gathers your background, medical history, the alcohol concentration from your current offense, social and family history, substance use history, work background and mental status.
- Assessment tools. The evaluator uses one or more DBHDD-approved assessment instruments, plus your DUI school screening.
- The written report, within 7 days. The evaluator must complete a report within seven days of the interview. It must contain enough information to diagnose or rule out a substance-related disorder under current DSM criteria and to recommend an ASAM level of service, and it must show the referral and the basis for it.
- One of two outcomes. Either a referral to treatment, with a list of approved providers for that level, or a finding that no treatment is needed, which goes to DBHDD for review.
- Your certificate. A Requirements Met Certificate from DBHDD if no treatment was needed, or a Certificate of Treatment Completion from your provider once treatment is done.
- Reinstatement. Take the certificate, your Risk Reduction certificate and the fee to DDS, or mail them to the DDS Validation Unit, P.O. Box 80447, Conyers, Georgia 30013. Our reinstatement guide covers the DDS side.
If no treatment is recommended
For a first conviction, the evaluator sends DBHDD a summary within seven days of the interview. For a multiple or habitual offender, the evaluator sends the complete evaluation. The rules say DBHDD will finish its review within two weeks of receiving it. If it approves, DBHDD issues a Requirements Met Certificate directly to you. If it doesn't agree, it asks the evaluator to add a referral to a specific ASAM level; if the evaluator disagrees, a panel of three professional peers decides and both sides abide by it.
If treatment is recommended
The evaluator recommends either short-term treatment, for clients needing services no higher than ASAM level I, or longer-term treatment, for clients needing level I or higher, and gives you a list of DBHDD-approved providers for that level. DBHDD sets the range of hours per week and weeks by policy. The treatment rules then apply:
- You must stay in treatment at least as long as the evaluator recommended, and complete at least the days and hours per week recommended. The provider may require more.
- Longer-term treatment is at least three hours of treatment per week. Twelve-step or self-help meetings may be required but don't count toward the three hours.
- A client who has complied with the treatment plan can't be required to stay longer than one year.
- Providers may only enroll clients whose referral matches the ASAM level they offer, unless there is no matching provider in your area and DBHDD approves a different one.
- If more than 60 days pass between the evaluation report and enrollment, the provider may re-evaluate you to confirm the level and hours.
- Treatment only happens at DBHDD-approved locations, and providers may only collect fees DBHDD has authorized.
Timeline: what happens when
| Milestone | What the rules say |
|---|---|
| Before the interview | Complete DUI school if possible; the school sends your assessment results to the evaluator within five business days of the request. |
| Interview day | Contract signed and copy given to you; face-to-face clinical interview plus assessment tools. |
| Within 7 days | Written report completed. If no treatment is indicated, the summary or full evaluation goes to DBHDD in the same window. |
| About 2 weeks later | DBHDD finishes its review and issues a Requirements Met Certificate, or asks for a referral. |
| Within 60 days of the report | Enroll in treatment if recommended; after 60 days the provider may re-evaluate. |
| Weeks to months | Treatment for at least the recommended time; longer-term is at least 3 hours a week. |
| One year at most | The cap for a client who has followed the plan. |
| On completion | Certificate of Treatment Completion issued; fees may need to be paid first. |
How it fits with DUI school and the interlock permit
For a second DUI in five years, DDS says the license is suspended at least 18 months with no driving at all for the first 120 days. After that hard suspension, DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10 lets you apply for an ignition interlock limited permit if you provide proof of an installed, approved interlock device, a Certificate of Completion from a Risk Reduction Program, and court authorization showing you're enrolled in a drug court or clinical treatment that satisfies O.C.G.A. § 40-5-63.1. The interlock must stay on for 12 months, and DDS's chart notes that if you also refused the state's test, the interlock permit is delayed until that implied consent suspension is served.
So the order most people follow is: DUI school, then the clinical evaluation, then enrollment in any recommended treatment, then the permit application. The evaluation report is what documents the treatment level the court and DDS rely on. Our ignition interlock guide covers the device, and this page covers limited permits generally.
Costs
| Item | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| DUI clinical evaluation at Athena | $150 | Athena |
| DUI school (Risk Reduction Program) | $360, set by law | The school |
| Treatment, if recommended | Set by the provider; only DBHDD-authorized fees | The treatment provider |
| Replacement Certificate of Treatment Completion | Up to $15 | The treatment provider |
| Ignition interlock limited permit | $25; $5 renewal for two months; $100 to remove the restriction | DDS |
| Interlock device | Up to $75 per installation or removal and up to $75 per 30-day inspection | The provider center |
| License reinstatement | Depends on your record; check DDS Online Services | DDS |
Ask us about payment options when you call. Qualifying students can take class now and pay later through Stripe.
What to bring
The interview covers set topics, so having these on hand makes it go faster and keeps the report accurate.
- Your court paperwork or probation conditions, so the evaluator knows why you were referred.
- The alcohol concentration from your current offense, if you have it. The rules list it as part of the interview.
- Your Risk Reduction Certificate of Completion, or the name of the school so we can request your assessment results.
- Your medical history, current medications and any prior treatment, because the interview gathers medical and substance use history.
- Your DDS record printout from Online Services, which shows prior convictions and your reinstatement steps.
What happens if…
You skip the recommended treatment
No Certificate of Treatment Completion can be issued before treatment is complete, and without it DDS won't have the proof it requires for two DUIs in ten years. Only DBHDD, the evaluator, the provider or an accountability court's treatment team may direct the clinical side of your treatment.
You wait more than 60 days to enroll
The provider may re-evaluate you using the report to confirm the level of service, days and hours.
You use a provider that isn't on the registry
Treatment only counts at DBHDD-approved locations with approved providers, and the provider must offer the ASAM level you were referred to. Check DBHDD's DUI Intervention Program site before you enroll.
You disagree with the evaluation
The rules give the peer review process to DBHDD and the evaluator, not the client. If you believe the evaluation was wrong, talk to your attorney about your options.
Special situations
Third DUI in five years
DDS declares you a habitual violator with a five-year revocation, and you're subject to the 12-month interlock requirement when you become eligible. DDS's chart says a habitual violator probationary license with interlock may be available after two years with court permission. The evaluation and any treatment are still required.
Accountability court
Athens-Clarke County's State Court runs a DUI/Drug Court that provides supervision, treatment and counseling. If you're in a program like this, the rules let the court's treatment team direct your treatment, so follow their instructions on evaluators and providers.
Court-ordered on a first DUI
If your sentence requires an evaluation, the court's deadline controls even though DDS doesn't need it to reinstate. Ask your probation officer who should receive the report or certificate.
If you're in Athens-Clarke County
The State Court of Athens-Clarke County hears DUI cases and runs the DUI/Drug Court. It's at 325 East Washington Street, Suite 425, Athens, GA 30601, phone 706-613-3200. Athens-Clarke County Probation Services, which supervises misdemeanor probation for the local courts, is at 110 Bray Street, Athens, GA 30601, phone 706-613-3911, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
Questions to ask
- Your attorney: Is the evaluation a condition of my sentence, and by when? Am I eligible for an interlock permit after 120 days?
- Your probation officer: Who needs the report or certificate, and in what form?
- The evaluator: Are you on DBHDD's registry, and is this an approved location?
- The treatment provider: What ASAM level do you offer, how many hours a week, and what fees has DBHDD authorized?
Key terms
- Clinical evaluation: DBHDD's process to diagnose substance abuse or dependence and refer to treatment if indicated.
- Clinical interview: the face-to-face part of the evaluation covering history, the offense BAC and mental status.
- ASAM level of service: the American Society of Addiction Medicine placement criteria the evaluator uses to recommend a treatment level.
- Requirements Met Certificate: the DBHDD document issued when an evaluation finding no treatment is approved.
- Certificate of Treatment Completion: the pre-numbered state document a provider issues when treatment is finished.
- Multiple or habitual offender: under the DBHDD rules, a person with two or more DUI convictions.
- Risk Reduction Program: DUI school; the evaluator reviews its screening.
How Athena handles it
Call 706.215.9661, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm, and tell us why you need the evaluation: reinstatement after repeat DUIs, a court order or probation. Have your paperwork nearby. Your appointment is at 110 Athens West Parkway, Ste. C, Athens, GA 30606, and the evaluation is $150, which we tell you before you book. We are also a Georgia DDS-certified Risk Reduction Program, RRP Cert #10432, so you can complete DUI school and the evaluation with one office. The complete Georgia DUI school guide covers the Risk Reduction Program in depth.