CRN Evaluation and DUI Safety School in Pennsylvania

Last updated October 4, 2026.

Almost every DUI client is told, early on, to schedule a "CRN" and to sign up for "safety school," usually without much explanation. Both are required by Pennsylvania law, both come with deadlines, and both can affect what happens to the case. This page explains each one, who has to do it, and how it works in Lawrence County. The rest of the DUI process is covered on the main DUI defense page.

Where do the CRN and safety school fit in a Lawrence County case?

Both come after the charge is filed and before the case is finished. The order depends on whether the case goes to ARD or to sentencing:

The charge and the preliminary hearing. The case starts at the district court for the place of arrest, and the preliminary hearing is held at Central Court, 202 Milton Street, New Castle, as explained in what happens at a preliminary hearing in Lawrence County.
The CRN appointment. According to the county's Public Defender, the Lawrence County DUI Program contacts the defendant with an appointment date and time for the CRN evaluation. For ARD, the evaluation comes before ARD is granted; after a conviction, it comes before sentencing (75 Pa.C.S. 3816(a), 3807(b)(1)(ii)).
The full assessment, if required. Instructions for any drug and alcohol assessment are given at the time of the CRN. The assessment is done by the county drug and alcohol agency or its designee, or by clinical staff of a treatment facility licensed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (3807(b)(3), 3814).
Safety school. The 12.5-hour class is completed as part of ARD, the sentence, or a condition of probation or parole (67 Pa. Code 94.4).
Treatment, if recommended. The level of treatment follows the full assessment, and completing it becomes a condition of ARD or of the sentence (3807(b)(1)(iii), 3815).
Completion or consequences. The Public Defender warns that missing the CRN appointment, a required assessment or safety school "will result in the revocation of your ARD and your case will be listed for trial."

Each county or group of counties runs its DUI program through a DUI program coordinator designated by the president judge, who is responsible for running the safety school (67 Pa. Code 94.12). The county lists a DUI Center phone line, 724-656-8900, for questions about the program. The full timeline of a case, from arrest to the Courthouse, is in what happens after a DUI arrest in Lawrence County.

What is the CRN evaluation?

CRN stands for Court Reporting Network. Under 75 Pa.C.S. 3816(a), every person convicted of DUI and every person offered ARD for a DUI must, before sentencing or before receiving ARD, "be evaluated using Court Reporting Network instruments issued by the department." The purpose, in the statute's words, is "to determine the extent of the person's involvement with alcohol or controlled substances" and to help the court decide what sentence, probation or ARD conditions would benefit the person or the public. PennDOT's regulations define the CRN as "a uniform prescreening evaluation procedure for all DUI offenders" (67 Pa. Code 94.2).

A 2018 report by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs and PennDOT describes what the evaluation collects: a social history, present and past alcohol and drug use, prior arrests, employment and medical history, with PennDOT adding the person's prior DUI arrests, license status and earlier traffic citations to the printout. The report lists the possible recommendations as safety school only (for first and second offenses), or a comprehensive drug assessment, alcohol assessment, or both.

When is a full drug and alcohol assessment required?

The CRN is a screening. A full assessment by a treatment professional follows when the law requires it:

When a full assessment follows the CRN evaluation
Situation	Full assessment required?	Statute
Conviction, with a DUI sentence within the prior 10 years	Yes	75 Pa.C.S. 3814(2)(i)
Conviction, and the CRN shows a need for counseling or treatment	Yes	3814(2)(ii)(A)
Conviction, blood alcohol of 0.16% or more	Yes	3814(2)(ii)(B)
ARD, and the evaluation indicates a likely substance use disorder	Yes	3807(b)(1)(ii), (b)(2)(i)
ARD, blood alcohol of 0.16% or more	Yes	3807(b)(2)(ii)

The assessment recommends a level of care and follow-up. If treatment is recommended, completing it becomes part of the sentence or of ARD. On a second offense the assessment also shapes the sentence itself, as explained in what happens on a second DUI in Pennsylvania.

What is alcohol highway safety school?

It is a structured class with a statewide curriculum, run by each county or group of counties under PennDOT's rules in 67 Pa. Code Chapter 94. The main points:

Length: at least 12 and a half hours of instruction, in five components covering DUI law, how alcohol and drugs affect the body and driving, the signs of a substance problem, the effect of a DUI on family and work, and steps to prevent another one (94.5). The 15-minute breaks do not count toward the hours (94.7(d)).
Attendance: every component must be completed. With the instructor's approval, a student may be excused from one component, but never the first, and must make it up at the next available school or repeat the entire course (94.7(b)).
A signed notice: in the first component, the instructor reads aloud a written notice about driving while suspended under 75 Pa.C.S. 1543(b), and each student signs two copies (94.9). That offense carries mandatory jail, as described in driving during a DUI suspension.
Scheduling: whenever possible, classes are set at times that do not conflict with most students' work, including evenings and weekends (94.7(c)).
Confidentiality: the school may share student records only with the student and PennDOT, apart from notices to the sentencing court, county probation or the State Parole Board (94.13).

Who has to attend safety school?

Anyone convicted of a first or second DUI, and anyone placed on ARD for a DUI, must "attend, pay all costs and successfully complete" an approved school (67 Pa. Code 94.4; 75 Pa.C.S. 3804(a), (b) and (c), 3807(b)(1)(i)). From the third offense on, the penalty paragraphs of 3804 no longer list the school, though treatment requirements remain. The full set of penalties by offense count is in the Pennsylvania DUI penalties chart.

What do they cost in Lawrence County?

The fee for safety school is set by each county or DUI program, not by the state, and the person attending pays it; the regulation says prospective students can verify the fee with the school (67 Pa. Code 94.14). Lawrence County's Public Defender lists these amounts:

Lawrence County evaluation and school costs, as published by the county
Item	Amount	Who pays
CRN evaluation	$60	The defendant
Alcohol highway safety school (12.5 hours)	$150	The defendant
Full assessment and treatment, if required	Varies by provider and level of care	The defendant, with insurance where it applies

On the last row, Pennsylvania law says a person insured under a health plan covered by the Insurance Company Law may not be denied drug and alcohol treatment or coverage within the plan because a problem was identified through one of these assessments (3807(c), 3815(g)). Every other published cost of a first DUI here, including the ARD clerk and approval fees, is listed in what a first DUI costs in Lawrence County.

Can what I say be used against me?

For ARD, the statute gives some protection. If ARD is not completed and the case goes to trial, 75 Pa.C.S. 3807(g) says that any waiver or acknowledgment given for ARD has no effect, and that no statement the defendant presented may be used against the defendant in a criminal proceeding, except a prosecution for giving false information. The evaluation still calls for honest answers, and PennDOT supplies the driving history whatever the person says.

What changes the answer?

ARD or conviction. On ARD, the evaluation must come before ARD is granted, and the program adds 6 to 12 months of court supervision (3807(b)(1)(ii), (iv)). After a conviction, it comes before sentencing (3816(a)).
The blood alcohol level. At 0.16% or more a full assessment is required whether the case ends in ARD or a conviction (3807(b)(2)(ii), 3814(2)(ii)(B)).
An earlier DUI. A DUI sentence within the previous 10 years means a full assessment on any new conviction (3814(2)(i)).
The offense count. Safety school is required for first and second offenses and for ARD, not from the third offense on (3804).
The treatment program's decision. A program may refuse to admit someone it finds inappropriate, and may discharge a participant who does not follow its rules into the custody of the probation officer (3807(b)(1)(iii)).
Drugs rather than alcohol. The evaluation covers controlled substances as well as alcohol; the drug-based DUI offenses are explained in DUI for prescription pills or medical marijuana.

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical first-time driver (not a real case) arrested near Ellwood City with a blood alcohol result of 0.17%, who is approved for ARD by the district attorney.

Before ARD is granted, the Lawrence County DUI Program schedules the CRN evaluation, at a published cost of $60. Because the result was 0.16% or more, a full assessment is required no matter what the screening shows (3807(b)(2)(ii)). If that assessment recommends outpatient treatment, the driver must take part in a licensed program at the recommended level (3807(b)(1)(iii)). The driver also completes the 12.5-hour safety school, published at $150, and signs the notice about driving while suspended. Because of the 0.17% result, the ARD license suspension is 60 days, as set out in how long ARD suspends your license. If the driver skipped the school or stopped going to treatment, the court would direct the district attorney to proceed on the charges, and the record would not be expunged (3807(e)).

Common mistakes with the CRN and safety school

Missing the CRN appointment. The county says that alone can revoke ARD and list the case for trial.
Leaving a component unfinished. Only one component may be excused, never the first, and it must be made up or the whole course repeated (94.7(b)).
Treating the evaluation as a formality. It shapes the conditions of ARD or the sentence, and PennDOT adds the driving record to it.
Assuming school is the end of it. When an assessment recommends treatment, finishing that treatment is a separate condition.
Driving after signing the suspension notice. The 1543(b) offense the class warns about carries mandatory jail.
Letting a missed condition become a violation. After a conviction, unmet treatment conditions can lead to the process described in probation violation hearings in Pennsylvania.

What to do this week

Watch the mail and your phone for the DUI Program's CRN appointment, and keep it.
If you have not heard from the program, call the DUI Center line the county lists, 724-656-8900.
Find your test result: at 0.16% or more, plan for a full assessment.
Check whether your health plan covers drug and alcohol treatment, in case it is recommended.
Set aside the published fees: $60 for the CRN and $150 for the school.
When school is scheduled, clear every session in advance; missing one can mean repeating the course.
Keep copies of every completion certificate and receipt.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CRN the same as a drug and alcohol assessment?

No. The CRN is a standard screening every DUI defendant completes. A full assessment by a county agency or licensed clinician follows only when the law or the screening calls for it (3814, 3807(b)(2)).

What if I miss one class of safety school?

With the instructor's approval, one component other than the first may be missed and made up at the next available school. Otherwise the course must be repeated (67 Pa. Code 94.7(b)).

Do I still go to safety school on a third DUI?

The penalty paragraphs for a third or later offense in 3804 do not list the school. They still require compliance with the treatment requirements of 3814 and 3815.

Does the evaluation happen before ARD is approved?

The statute requires it before a person receives ARD (3807(b)(1)(ii), 3816(a)). It helps the court decide which ARD conditions apply. How ARD is requested and granted in this county is covered in getting ARD for a DUI in Lawrence County.

Who will see my safety school records?

The school may share them only with you and PennDOT, apart from notices to the sentencing court, county probation or the State Parole Board (67 Pa. Code 94.13).

Is safety school the same in every Pennsylvania county?

The curriculum and the 12.5-hour minimum are statewide (94.5). The fee is set locally, so it can differ from county to county (94.14).

Does a completed DUI ARD leave anything on record?

The arrest record is expunged, but the clerk of courts keeps a certified copy of the completion order for 12 years, not open to the public, for use only in a later prosecution for DUI following diversion (3807(f)). That charge is explained in DUI following diversion under Act 58.

If you have been told to schedule a CRN evaluation or safety school after a DUI in Ellwood City, Lawrence County or anywhere in Western Pennsylvania, I can explain where those steps fit in your case. You work directly with me, and the first consultation is always free and confidential.

What are the CRN evaluation and alcohol highway safety school after a Pennsylvania DUI?