§32-5-192. Implied consent; when tests administered; suspension of license or permit to drive, etc., for refusal to submit to test.

(a) Any person who operates a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state shall be deemed to have given his consent, subject to the provisions of this division, to a chemical test or tests of his blood, breath or urine for the purpose of determining the alcoholic content of his blood if lawfully arrested for any offense arising out of acts alleged to have been committed while the person was driving a motor vehicle on the public highways of this state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. The test or tests shall be administered at the direction of a law enforcement officer having reasonable grounds to believe the person to have been driving a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. The law enforcement agency by which such officer is employed shall designate which of the aforesaid tests shall be administered. Such person shall be told that his failure to submit to such a chemical test will result in the suspension of his privilege to operate a motor vehicle for a period of 90 days; provided if such person objects to a blood test, the law enforcement agency shall designate that one of the other aforesaid tests be administered.

(b) Any person who is dead, unconscious or who is otherwise in a condition rendering him incapable of refusal, shall be deemed not to have withdrawn the consent provided by subsection (a) of this section and the test or tests may be administered, subject to the provisions of this division.

(c) If a person under arrest refuses upon the request of a law enforcement officer to submit to a chemical test designated by the law enforcement agency as provided in subsection (a) of this section, none shall be given, but the Director of Public Safety, upon the receipt of a sworn report of the law enforcement officer that he had reasonable grounds to believe the arrested person had been driving a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and that the person had refused to submit to the test upon the request of the law enforcement officer, shall, on the first refusal, suspend his license or permit to drive, or the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the highways of this state given to a nonresident; or if the person is a resident without a license or permit to operate a motor vehicle in this state, the director shall deny to the person the issuance of a license or permit, for a period of 90 days, subject to review as hereinafter provided. For a second or subsequent refusal of such test within a five-year period, the director, upon said receipt of a sworn report, shall suspend his license or permit to drive, or the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the highways of this state given to a nonresident for a period of one year; or if the person is a resident without a license or permit to operate a motor vehicle in this state, the director shall deny to the person the issuance of a license or permit, for a period of one year subject to review as hereinafter provided. If such person is acquitted on the charge of driving a motor vehicle upon the highways of this state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, then in that event the Director of Public Safety may, in his discretion, reduce said period of suspension.

(d) Upon suspending the license or permit to drive or the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the highways of this state given to a nonresident or any person, or upon determining that the issuance of a license or permit shall be denied to the person, as hereinbefore in this section directed, the Director of Public Safety or his duly authorized agent shall immediately notify the person in writing and upon his request shall afford him an opportunity for a hearing in the same manner and under the same conditions as is provided in Section 32-6-16, for notification and hearings in the cases of suspension of licenses; except, that the scope of such a hearing for the purposes of this section shall cover the issues of whether a law enforcement officer had reasonable grounds to believe the person had been driving a motor vehicle upon the public highways of this state while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, whether the person was placed under arrest, and whether he or she refused to submit to the test upon request of the officer. Whether the person was informed that his or her privilege to drive would be suspended or denied if he or she refused to submit to the test shall not be an issue. The Director of Public Safety shall order that the suspension or determination that there should be a denial of issuance either be rescinded or sustained.

(e) If the suspension or determination that there should be a denial of issuance is sustained by the Director of Public Safety or his or her authorized agent upon such hearing, the person whose license or permit to drive or nonresident operating privilege has been suspended or to whom a license or permit is denied, under the provisions of this section, shall have the right to file a petition in the appropriate court to review the final order of suspension or denial by the director or his or her duly authorized agent in the same manner and under the same conditions as is provided in Section 32-6-16 in the cases of suspensions and denials.

(f) When it has been finally determined under the procedures of this section that a nonresident's privilege to operate a motor vehicle in this state has been suspended the director shall give information in writing of the action taken to the motor vehicle administrator of the state of the person's residence and of any state in which he or she has a license.

(Acts 1969, No. 699, p. 1255, §1; Acts 1983, No. 83-620, p. 959, §1.)