DUI ARD in Lawrence County, PA | Nicholas A. Frisk III

Last updated October 4, 2026.

Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition is Pennsylvania's main path for a first DUI to end without a conviction. The general idea is explained in ARD in Pennsylvania. This page is the practical version for a DUI in Lawrence County: the order of events, who decides, what the county says it requires, what it costs, and what happens when the program ends. For the overall defense picture, see the main DUI defense page.

How does ARD work in Lawrence County, step by step?

ARD is not a separate court. It resolves the same criminal case, which follows the normal path of a Lawrence County DUI until the District Attorney offers it:

The charge. Police file a criminal complaint, and the case gets a docket you can look up on the UJS Portal. The first days after an arrest are laid out in what happens after a DUI arrest in Lawrence County.
The preliminary hearing. Lawrence County holds all of its preliminary hearings at Central Court, 202 Milton Street, New Castle, next to the county jail, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. What that hearing can and cannot do is covered in what happens at a preliminary hearing in Lawrence County.
The request. The ARD motion comes after proceedings in a court case have started (Rule 310). Its comment says the defendant or the defendant's lawyer may ask the DA, and the comment to Rule 311 says no particular form of application is required.
The CRN evaluation. Before ARD is granted, every DUI defendant is evaluated with Court Reporting Network instruments (3807(b)(1)(ii), 3816(a)). The county's DUI Program contacts you with the appointment, and the evaluation costs $60. What the evaluation and the class involve is explained in the CRN evaluation and alcohol highway safety school.
The ARD hearing. After notice to you and to any victim (Rule 311(A)), the case is heard in open court before a Court of Common Pleas judge, in the Courthouse described in what to expect at the Lawrence County Courthouse (Rules 312, 313).
The program. If the judge accepts the case and you accept the conditions, the order is entered and bail ends (Rule 313(D), (E)). You then complete the conditions under court supervision.
Dismissal. At the end, you ask the court to dismiss the charges, and the judge also orders the arrest record expunged unless the District Attorney objects (Rules 319, 320).

Who decides whether I get ARD?

The District Attorney. Rule 310 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure lets "the attorney for the Commonwealth" move a court case into ARD. The motion belongs to the prosecutor, not to the defendant. The Lawrence County District Attorney's Office is at 430 Court Street, New Castle, according to its own website.

The judge has the last word. After hearing the facts, the judge either states the conditions or orders the case to proceed on the charges, with no appeal from that order (Rule 313(C)).

One protection makes it safer to ask. Information or statements a defendant gives the DA in an ARD application cannot be used against them in a criminal case, except a prosecution for giving false information (Rule 311(B); 75 Pa.C.S. 3807(g)). The same applies to what you say at the hearing, which the judge hears with the record closed (Rule 313(A), (B)).

Am I eligible?

The statute sets the floor. The DA may not submit a DUI for ARD if any of these apply (3807(a)(2)):

You were found guilty of, or accepted ARD for, a DUI within 10 years of the current offense, apart from one narrow exception for a first offense that was an ungraded misdemeanor under 3802(a)(2).
A crash connected to the offense killed or seriously injured someone other than you.
A passenger under 14 was in the vehicle you were driving.

Lawrence County's Public Defender adds: "If this is your first DUI within 10 years, you may be eligible" for ARD, and that to get ARD "you had to have a valid license, not be charged with fleeing and eluding, reckless driving or hit and run." Even when all of this lines up, ARD is an offer, not a right, because it depends on the DA's motion.

What does a DUI ARD require?

Section 3807(b) lists the conditions every DUI ARD must include, on top of anything else the judge orders:

A full drug and alcohol assessment if the evaluation shows a likely substance use disorder or the blood alcohol level was 0.16% or higher, and treatment if the assessment calls for it (3807(b)(1)(iii), (b)(2)). The county says instructions for the assessment are given at the time of the CRN.
Alcohol Highway Safety School. The county describes it as 12.5 hours of classroom instruction. By statute it must be offered at times that fit work schedules, including evenings and weekends (75 Pa.C.S. 1549(b)(1)).
Court supervision for at least six months but not more than 12 months (3807(b)(1)(iv)).
Restitution to anyone with a financial loss, and the reasonable costs of a municipality connected with the offense (3807(b)(1)(v), (vi)).
A license suspension of none, 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on the blood alcohol level and other facts (3807(d)). The scale is on the page about how long ARD suspends your license.

Before you accept, the judge must confirm on the record that your acceptance and waiver of rights are knowing, voluntary and intelligent (3807(a.1)). You also agree that, if you do not finish, the time in the program will not count toward the statute of limitations or your speedy trial rights (Rule 312(2)).

What does ARD cost in Lawrence County?

Published ARD costs for a Lawrence County DUI
Item	Amount	Source
CRN evaluation	$60	County Public Defender page
Alcohol Highway Safety School	$150	County Public Defender page
ARD Clerk Fee plus DA Approval Fee	$19.50 + $50 = $69.50	Clerk of Courts fee schedule, as of November 25, 2025
Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund cost	$50	75 Pa.C.S. 3807(b)(1)(ix)
Fine	None: ARD may not include a fine	Pa.R.Crim.P. 316(a)(1)
Chemical test, including any blood draw	Charged to you	75 Pa.C.S. 1547(g.1)
Treatment, if the assessment calls for it	Varies	3807(b)(1)(iii), (viii)
Restitution and municipal costs, if any	Varies	3807(b)(1)(v), (vi)

Added up, the fixed amounts the county and the statute publish come to $329.50 ($60 + $150 + $69.50 + $50). The statute also requires "any other fee, surcharge or cost required by law" (3807(b)(1)(vii)), and Rule 316(a)(2) allows costs and "a reasonable charge relating to the expense of administering the program." A full first-DUI budget, with and without ARD, is on the page about what a first DUI costs in Lawrence County.

If money is the obstacle, say so early. The comment to Rule 316 notes a practice of letting qualified people who are indigent take part without paying costs or charges; whether that reaches a particular statutory cost is for the court.

What if I miss a step?

Lawrence County's Public Defender is blunt about it: failing to keep the CRN appointment, to complete a required assessment, or to finish safety school "will result in the revocation of your ARD and your case will be listed for trial." The statute says the same in general terms: a defendant who fails a condition is "deemed to have unsuccessfully participated," the record is not expunged, and the DA proceeds on the charges (3807(e)). The DA starts that process with a motion, filed during the program or within a reasonable time after the violation; the judge must give you a chance to be heard, and there is no appeal from an order ending the program (Rule 318(B), (C)).

What happens when I finish?

You move the court for an order dismissing the charges, supported by your affidavit and the supervising agency's certification. The DA has 30 days to object; if there is no objection, the judge dismisses the charges (Rule 319). When the judge dismisses, the judge also orders the arrest record expunged, unless the DA files objections within the same 30 days, in which case there is a hearing (Rule 320). How that compares with other ways to clear a record is explained in clearing a criminal record in Pennsylvania.

Two records survive for a limited purpose. The clerk of courts keeps the completion order for 12 years, closed to the public and usable only for future prosecutions under the DUI following diversion law (3807(f)), and PennDOT keeps its own ARD record for 12 years, available to prosecutors, courts and police (75 Pa.C.S. 1534). That newer rule is explained on the page about DUI following diversion under Act 58.

What changes the answer?

The facts that decide whether ARD is possible and what it involves:

An earlier DUI or ARD. One within 10 years of the new offense bars ARD, apart from the narrow 3802(a)(2) exception (3807(a)(2)(i)). The case then moves toward the mandatory sentences described in what happens on a second DUI in Pennsylvania.
Who was hurt, and who was in the car. A crash that killed or seriously injured someone else, or a passenger under 14, takes ARD off the table (3807(a)(2)(ii), (iii)).
The blood alcohol result. A level of 0.16% or higher triggers a full assessment and possible treatment, at your cost (3807(b)(2), (b)(1)(viii)), and sets a 60-day suspension instead of none or 30 days (3807(d)).
A refused or missing test. When the level is not known, the ARD suspension is 60 days (3807(d)(3)(ii)), and a refusal brings PennDOT's separate refusal suspension (1547(b)(1)). Whether a blood result can be used at all is its own question, covered in whether police need a warrant to draw blood.
A crash with injury or damage. Short of death or serious injury to someone else, it does not bar ARD, but it means a 60-day suspension (3807(d)(3)(iii)) and restitution (3807(b)(1)(v)).
A new charge during the program. Being charged with or committing a crime under Title 18 sends the DUI back to the trial list (3807(e)(2)(ii)).

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical driver (not a real case) with no earlier DUI who is arrested in Ellwood City, gives a breath sample of 0.12%, and was not in a crash.

Nothing in 3807(a)(2) bars ARD, so the question is whether the District Attorney will move for it. After the preliminary hearing at Central Court, the driver asks for ARD and the DUI Program schedules the CRN. Because the level is under 0.16%, a full assessment follows only if the evaluation shows a likely substance use disorder (3807(b)(2)).

At the ARD hearing in the Courthouse, the judge orders 6 to 12 months of supervision, safety school, and a 30-day license suspension for a level of 0.10% to under 0.16% (3807(b)(1)(iv), (d)(2)). The published costs come to $329.50, plus the cost of the chemical test (1547(g.1)) and any other costs required by law. If every condition is finished, the driver moves for dismissal, which the judge grants if the DA does not object within 30 days (Rule 319).

Common mistakes with ARD

Waiting for someone else to raise it. Only the DA can file the motion, but the comment to Rule 310 says the defendant or the defendant's lawyer may make the request.
Missing mail from the DUI Program. The county schedules the CRN by contacting you, and a missed appointment can end the ARD.
Driving during the ARD suspension. Driving while suspended as a condition of DUI ARD carries a $500 fine and 60 days in jail on a first conviction (1543(b)(1)(i)), as explained in driving during a DUI suspension.
Assuming the case closes by itself. Rule 319 calls for a motion for dismissal, though its comment notes that some counties have their own procedures.
Assuming ARD leaves no trace. The completion order and PennDOT's record are kept for 12 years for use in a later DUI case (3807(f), 1534).

What to do this week

Find your chemical test result, or the refusal paperwork, from the arrest; it sets the suspension and whether a full assessment is required.
Look up the case on the UJS Portal and note the preliminary hearing date at Central Court.
Write down any earlier DUI, ARD or similar charge anywhere, with its date.
Make sure the court and the DUI Program have your current address and phone number.
Plan for the published costs of $329.50, plus the chemical test.
Do not drive once a suspension starts.
Avoid anything that could lead to a new charge while the case is open.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to plead guilty to get ARD?

No. The ARD rules do not call for a plea. The judge hears the facts with the record closed, states the conditions, and you accept them; completing the program gives you the chance "to earn a dismissal of the pending charges" (Rules 312(1), 313).

Will I get my bail money back?

When the judge grants ARD, bail is terminated and any money or security deposited is returned under the bail rules (Rule 313(E)). How bail was set in the first place is covered in how bail is set after an arrest in Lawrence County.

I refused the breath or blood test. Can I still get ARD?

A refusal is not one of the statute's three bars to ARD (3807(a)(2)), so the DA may still consider it. The ARD suspension would be 60 days because the level is not known (3807(d)(3)(ii)), and PennDOT's refusal suspension is separate, with its own appeal deadline, explained in appealing a PennDOT license suspension.

Will an employer see the arrest?

While the case is open, it is a pending charge on the public docket. After dismissal, the judge orders the arrest record expunged unless the DA objects (Rule 320), and the clerk's 12-year record is closed to the public (3807(f)). What employers may consider in general is explained in whether an employer can refuse to hire you over a record.

I have an Ohio license. Can I get ARD in Lawrence County?

The ARD statute has no residency requirement (3807(a)), and the county's description asks for a valid license without naming a state. Out-of-state drivers face extra license questions, covered in an Ohio driver's DUI in Lawrence County.

If you are hoping for ARD after a DUI arrest in Ellwood City, New Castle or anywhere in Lawrence County, I can tell you whether you are likely to qualify and what to do first. You work directly with me, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

How do I get ARD for a DUI in Lawrence County, and what does it cost?