A Georgia limited driving permit lets you drive while your license is suspended, but only for approved reasons like getting to work, school, scheduled medical care and court. After a DUI, you can usually get one if it's your first DUI in 5 years, you were 21 or older, and you did not refuse the state's breath or blood test.
The permit costs $32 and lasts up to one year, or until you reinstate your license, whichever comes first. It's issued by the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS), not the court. This guide covers every eligibility situation, what the permit allows and forbids, the DDS-1126 process step by step, the fees, what revokes it and how it ends.
What is a limited permit in Georgia?
A limited permit is a restricted license you can hold during a suspension. It doesn't give your full driving privileges back. Instead, DDS prints the approved uses as restrictions on the back of the permit, and you can drive only for those reasons.
People often call it a "work permit" or "hardship license." The statute behind it is O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64. According to the DDS Traffic Court Reference Manual, DDS issues the permit when your application shows that refusing it would cause you extreme hardship, and the manual tells courts that DDS is required by law to issue one when you meet the legal qualifications. The judge has no discretion to grant or deny it.
Who qualifies for a limited permit after a DUI: the full table
This table combines the DDS limited permits page, the Driver's Manual, DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10 and the Traffic Court Reference Manual. In every case, DDS says it makes the final decision on eligibility.
| Your situation | Regular limited permit? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First DUI in 5 years, age 21+, took the test | Yes | Court completes DDS-1126; permit up to 1 year, $32 |
| Administrative suspension after arrest, first in 5 years, took the test | Yes | Any age, in person only. Becomes your DUI permit if you're convicted at 21 or older |
| First DUI, refused the test | No | Refusal is a 1-year hard suspension. An ignition interlock permit may be an option if requested within 30 days |
| DUI conviction under age 21 | No | No permit of any kind; a permit issued after the arrest is cancelled at conviction |
| Second DUI in 5 years | Not at first | 120 days with no driving, then an ignition interlock permit for 12 months, then a regular permit |
| Second DUI in 5 years, court granted a financial hardship exemption from the interlock | No | No permit until 12 months of the suspension are served (Rule 375-3-3-.10) |
| Third DUI in 5 years | No | Habitual violator; probationary license possible after 2 years |
| First drug DUI in 5 years | Depends on offense date | Court manual: available for offenses on or after July 29, 2020. Driver's Manual still lists DUI Drugs as ineligible. Ask DDS |
| Second drug DUI in 5 years | No | 1-year suspension |
| Not a Georgia resident, or never held a Georgia license | No | Rule 375-3-3-.10(3) |
| Another suspension on your record | No | Unless you're separately eligible for a permit for that suspension too |
| Driving while suspended conviction | No | Driver's Manual lists it as not eligible |
| Commercial vehicle | Never | No limited permit is valid for a commercial vehicle |
Two definitions matter. "First DUI in 5 years" is measured from the date of the earlier arrest to the date of the current arrest. And DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10 says DDS interprets changes to the permit laws in the way most advantageous to each customer, so permits are issued at the earliest date legally allowed.
What a limited driving permit lets you do
DDS lists these as the purposes a limited permit can cover:
- Driving to your place of employment and performing the normal duties of your job.
- Getting scheduled medical care or picking up prescription drugs.
- Attending classes at a college or school where you're enrolled as a student.
- Attending support group meetings for the treatment of alcohol or other drugs.
- Attending a driver education program or an alcohol or drug assessment and treatment program.
- Attending court, reporting to community supervision or probation, or doing community service.
- Driving unlicensed immediate family members to work, school, medical care or to get prescriptions.
- Attending programs ordered by an accountability court judge.
Ignition interlock permits also cover monthly monitoring visits with the device provider.
What it doesn't let you do
Anything not printed on the permit. DDS can limit the places you go, the routes you take, the times you drive and the vehicles you use, and it can add other restrictions it considers necessary. A limited permit is never valid for a commercial vehicle. Errands, social trips and driving other people for reasons outside the list aren't covered, and driving outside your restrictions is a conviction that revokes the permit.
How to apply: the DDS-1126 process step by step
You can apply right after your conviction, as long as your license has been surrendered. Here's the process, from DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10, the DDS-1126 form and the Traffic Court Reference Manual.
- Surrender your license at court. The DDS-1126 form says DDS can issue the permit only if you surrendered your license to the court or to DDS, or DDS has processed the conviction. If your license is lost, sign the Lost License Affidavit, Form DDS-250A.
- Get the referral from the court. At conviction, the court completes form DDS-1126, the First DUI Alcohol/Drugs Conviction Permit Referral. It records your violation date, conviction date, citation number, whether you surrendered your license and the court's seal. DDS doesn't need the form if your conviction is already on your driving record.
- If you surrendered your license earlier, be ready to prove it. The form says that if DDS can't verify an earlier surrender date on your record, you must show proof, such as your copy of the DDS-1205 administrative suspension form or the DS-1190 court notice showing a surrender date.
- Complete DDS's online form before you go. DDS asks every visitor to a Customer Service Center to submit its online license, ID or permit form first.
- Go to a DDS Customer Service Center. The court manual tells courts to send you to the nearest center. All centers are closed on Monday. Bring the DDS-1126, proof of identity and your payment.
- Sign the application under oath. The court manual says permit applications are made on DDS forms, ask for the information DDS needs to judge hardship, and must be signed before a person authorized to administer oaths. You also sign an affidavit that the court didn't suspend your license in a way that conflicts with the permit.
- Pay $32. Centers take cash, credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, not checks.
- Read the back of the permit. Your approved uses and any place, route, time or vehicle limits are printed there.
The referral isn't approval. The DDS-1126 form itself says a court referral doesn't mean a permit will be issued. It lists the usual reasons a driver is turned down: a refusal suspension from the same DUI, other license withdrawals unrelated to the DUI, and prior convictions that rule you out under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64. Call DDS at 678-413-8400 if you're unsure before making the trip.
If you already have a permit from the administrative suspension
Many people get a permit after the arrest, during the administrative suspension. The court manual says that permit transitions into your DUI permit if you're convicted at 21 or older before the administrative suspension is reinstated, and that courts should not ask you to surrender a permit you received before the conviction. If you're under 21 at conviction, DDS cancels it.
Fees and terms
These amounts come from the DDS fees and terms page. DDS notes that eligible online transactions get a $5 discount, but the permit itself is issued in person.
| Permit | Term | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Limited permit | Up to 1 year | $32 |
| Limited permit renewal | 1 year | $10 |
| Limited permit replacement | Same as the original permit | $20 |
| Ignition interlock device limited permit | 4 months on the device if you took the test, 12 months if you refused | $25 |
| Ignition interlock permit renewal | 2 months | $5 |
| Ignition interlock restriction removal | N/A | $100, plus any reinstatement fees |
| Habitual violator probationary license | Up to 3 years | $210 |
The permit is only one cost of a DUI suspension. DUI school is $360 at every certified program, and the reinstatement fee for a first DUI at 21 or older is $200 by mail or $210 in person. See how much DUI school costs in Georgia for the rest.
What revokes a limited permit, and the 6-month wait
DDS will revoke your permit if:
- You're convicted of violating any state law or local ordinance relating to the movement of vehicles. The court manual excludes a seat belt conviction, and Rule 375-3-3-.10 says a plea or conviction under the seat belt or child restraint laws (O.C.G.A. §§ 40-8-76 and 40-8-76.1) doesn't revoke a permit.
- You're convicted of violating the conditions or restrictions printed on your permit.
- Another suspension is imposed on your license.
- For an interlock permit, the provider reports tampering, a missed monitoring visit or early removal of the device.
The penalties are steep. The court in which you're convicted takes the permit and sends it to DDS within 10 days. The Driver's Manual says the conviction extends your underlying suspension by 6 months, and the court manual says you can't apply for a driver's license until 6 months after the permit was surrendered or DDS processed the conviction. DDS may also impose an additional suspension for the conviction itself.
How the permit ends when you reinstate
The court manual says a permit under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64 becomes invalid one year after issuance, or upon any earlier reinstatement of your license. In practice:
- First DUI, 21 or older: you can reinstate after 120 days of the 12-month suspension with a Risk Reduction certificate, an SR-22 and the fee. The permit ends the day you reinstate. If you don't reinstate within the year, the permit expires and a renewal is $10.
- Second DUI in 5 years: after 120 days with no driving, an ignition interlock permit for 12 months, then DDS Rule 375-3-3-.10 says you become eligible for a permit without the interlock restriction if otherwise eligible. Removing the restriction costs $100. Full reinstatement follows the 18-month suspension.
Our guide to getting your license back after a DUI walks through the reinstatement steps, and ignition interlock in Georgia covers the interlock permit.
Timeline: a first DUI permit from arrest to reinstatement
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Arrest | Officer may file a DDS-1205 and take your license. If you took the test and it's your first administrative suspension, a $25 permit is available in person at any DDS center. |
| Conviction | Court seizes your license, serves the suspension notice and completes DDS-1126. Your administrative permit, if any, becomes your DUI permit if you're 21 or older. |
| Right after conviction | Apply at a DDS center, sign under oath, pay $32. Drive only for the printed purposes. |
| Day 120 | Earliest reinstatement, if you've finished DUI school, filed an SR-22 and paid the fee. The permit ends. |
| Year 1 | If you haven't reinstated, the permit expires. Renewal is $10. |
What happens if...
You drive somewhere the permit doesn't cover
A conviction for violating your permit's conditions revokes the permit, adds 6 months to your suspension and blocks a license application for 6 months. Driving while your license is suspended is a separate offense with its own 6-month suspension and no permit.
You get a speeding ticket
Speeding is a violation relating to the movement of vehicles, so a conviction revokes the permit. Whether to contest the ticket is a question for your attorney.
You haven't finished DUI school yet
The DDS pages and rule we reviewed don't list a deadline for finishing the Risk Reduction Program to keep a first-offense permit. What they say is that you need the certificate to reinstate, and the permit covers driving to a driver education program or an alcohol or drug assessment and treatment program. If your court order sets a deadline for DUI school, follow it. If your case is still open, read can you start DUI classes before your court date.
You refused the test
The DDS DUI FAQ says a refusal suspension makes you ineligible for a limited permit if you're convicted of a first DUI, and the court manual calls the refusal a one-year hard suspension. If you're 21 or older with a Georgia license and no other suspensions, you may request an ignition interlock permit within 30 days of the DDS-1205 notice, but that waives your hearing and commits you to 12 months on the device even if the DUI is dismissed.
You're under 21
The Driver's Manual says you're not eligible for any limited driving permit after a DUI under 21. Read our page on Georgia DUI under 21.
You lose the permit
A replacement costs $20 and carries the same term as the original.
Key terms
- Limited driving permit. A $32 restricted permit issued by DDS under O.C.G.A. § 40-5-64 that allows driving only for the purposes printed on it during a suspension.
- DDS-1126. The First DUI Alcohol/Drugs Conviction Permit Referral, completed by the convicting court and presented at a DDS center.
- DDS-250A. The lost license affidavit you sign when you can't surrender your license.
- DDS-1205. The administrative license suspension notice an officer serves at arrest when you refuse the test or are over the limit.
- Extreme hardship. The standard on the application: DDS issues the permit when refusing it would cause you extreme hardship.
- Hard suspension. A period with no driving at all, such as the first 120 days after a second DUI in 5 years or the full year after a refusal.
- Ignition interlock limited permit. A $25 permit that requires a breath-testing device in your vehicle, used after a second DUI in 5 years and in some refusal cases.
- Risk Reduction Program. Georgia DUI school, a 130-question assessment and a 20-hour class, $360, required to reinstate after a DUI.
If you're in Athens-Clarke County
The court that convicts you completes the DDS-1126. In Athens, misdemeanor DUI cases are handled by the Municipal Court of Athens-Clarke County, 325 East Washington Street, Suite 170, Athens, GA 30601, 706-613-3690, which says it has jurisdiction over all state misdemeanor traffic violations including DUI. State Court, Suite 425, 706-613-3200, hears DUI cases too and runs the DUI/Drug Court.
To apply for the permit, the DDS Athens Customer Service Center is at 1505 US Highway 29 North, open Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. DDS says it closed on October 3, 2026, replaced by the Oconee Customer Service Center at 1627 McNutt Creek Road, Bogart, GA 30622, which serves the area from October 6, 2026, Tuesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Questions to ask
- Your attorney: Do I have a refusal suspension or any other suspension that rules out the permit? Did the sentence include a court-ordered suspension as a condition of probation? Should I request an interlock permit or a hearing after the arrest?
- The court clerk: Will the court complete the DDS-1126 today, and does it show my license was surrendered?
- DDS (678-413-8400): Is my conviction on my record yet? What restrictions will be printed on my permit?
- Your employer or school: Can you give me written proof of my schedule and location in case DDS asks?
What to bring and keep
Bring the completed DDS-1126 (or a certified copy of the conviction), proof of identity, any proof of an earlier surrender date, and $32. Keep the permit with you every time you drive, keep your court paperwork and DDS receipt, and keep your Risk Reduction certificate once you earn it; you'll need the original to reinstate.
How Athena handles it
Athena DUI Academy & Family Enrichment is a DDS-certified Risk Reduction Program in Athens, RRP Cert #10432, with classes live online or in person for the state price of $360. Driving to a DDS-certified DUI school is one of the approved uses of a limited permit. Call 706.215.9661 or see our DUI school in Athens page to register for the next class, and read the Georgia DUI school guide for the full picture.