A Montgomery County DUI arrest starts two separate cases. The criminal case is heard in the District Court in Rockville or Silver Spring, unless you ask for a jury trial and it moves to the Circuit Court. The license case is heard by an administrative law judge, on its own deadline.
- District Court Rockville or Silver Spring Where most cases start
- Circuit Court 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville Jury trials and appeals
- MVA hearing A request within 10 days of the date on your Order of Suspension can preserve your temporary driving privilege Transp. §16-205.1
- Local enforcement 1,214 DUI offenses recorded by county police in 2025 MCPD annual report
Jump to: Two cases · The courts · Jury trials & appeals · The MVA hearing · Local enforcement · What a defense reviews · What to bring · Next steps · FAQ
Montgomery County police recorded 1,214 DUI offenses in 2025, down from 1,306 the year before. From 2019 to 2023, the county averaged 764 crashes a year involving an impaired driver, about one in eight in Maryland. If you were one of the people arrested, the numbers matter less than what happens next, and in Montgomery County that follows a specific path through specific buildings.
This guide walks through both cases a DUI arrest creates, where each one is heard, what local enforcement looks like now, and what to do first.
Two cases, two tracks
A DUI or DWI arrest in Maryland creates a criminal case, where the question is whether you committed a crime, and an administrative case at the Motor Vehicle Administration, where the question is your license. They run on separate tracks with separate deadlines. Winning one does not end the other, and a plea in court does not cancel an MVA suspension.
Where your case will be heard
Most Montgomery County DUI and DWI cases begin in the District Court of Maryland, which sits in two county locations. The District Court hears cases without a jury.
| Location | Address | What happens there |
|---|---|---|
| District Court — Rockville | 191 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD 20850 · 301-563-8800 | Bench trials, pleas and most first appearances |
| District Court — Silver Spring | 8552 Second Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 · 301-563-8500 | Bench trials, pleas and most first appearances |
| Circuit Court for Montgomery County | 50 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, MD 20850 · 240-777-9400 | Jury trials and appeals from the District Court |
| Office of Administrative Hearings | 40 West Gude Drive, Rockville, MD 20850 | One of the places MVA hearings are held; your Notice of Hearing gives the actual location |
Addresses from the Maryland Judiciary and the Office of Administrative Hearings, September 2026. Your citation, summons or notice names the court and date for your case. Older websites list outdated District Court addresses.
The District Court for Montgomery County also runs a DUI Court program, approved in 2023, which pairs court supervision with treatment. Whether a case qualifies is a question to raise with your lawyer early.
Jury trials and appeals
You have a right to a jury trial when the charge carries more than 90 days of possible jail (Courts & Judicial Proceedings §4-302(e)). A DUI, with a one-year maximum for a first offense, qualifies. A DWI charge on its own, with a two-month maximum, does not. Asking for a jury before trial in the District Court moves the case to the Circuit Court in Rockville.
There is an exception worth knowing: a District Court judge can deny a jury trial if the prosecutor recommends in open court no more than 90 days of jail, and the judge agrees to that limit and agrees not to raise your bond if you appeal.
If you are convicted in the District Court, you can appeal within 30 days of the judgment. A criminal appeal from the District Court gets a completely new trial in the Circuit Court, not just a review of the record (§12-401).
The MVA hearing
If you tested at 0.08 or higher, or refused a test, the officer took your license and gave you an Order of Suspension and, if you were eligible, a 45-day temporary license.
Requesting an MVA hearing within 10 days of the date on your Order of Suspension can preserve your temporary driving privilege while the MVA process is pending. A hearing may still be requested within 30 days, but a request made after day 10 does not extend the 45-day temporary license.
- How to request it: in writing, by mail, to the Office of Administrative Hearings, 11101 Gilroy Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21031. The postmark date counts. Neither the MVA nor the Office of Administrative Hearings offers an online request form.
- The fee: $150 by check or money order, payable to the “Maryland State Treasurer.” A request without it is not valid.
- Who decides: an administrative law judge from the Office of Administrative Hearings, not a court. The Notice of Hearing gives the location; the office in Rockville is one of several where hearings are held.
A test result of 0.08 through 0.14 generally carries a 180-day administrative suspension. At an MVA hearing, a judge may grant a restricted license for qualifying work, alcohol education or treatment, school, or necessary medical travel; an eligible driver may instead choose 180 days in the Ignition Interlock Program. At 0.15 or higher, a non-interlock restricted license is not available. If the suspension is upheld and the driver needs to keep driving, the available modification is one year in the Ignition Interlock Program.
MVA Deadline Calculator Enter the date on your Order of Suspension. See your 10-day and 30-day deadlines. Count my days →For the full suspension table, including refusals and repeat offenses, see our guide to BAC limits and your license.
DUI enforcement in Montgomery County
In August 2026, the Montgomery County Police Department announced it was disbanding its Alcohol Initiatives Unit, the five-officer team dedicated to impaired-driving enforcement, citing staffing shortages. The department says its Holiday and Summer Alcohol Task Forces, saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints will continue.
Most arrests were already coming from patrol officers. According to figures the department gave WJLA, district officers made 342 of the county’s 437 DUI arrests in 2026, as of early September. The task forces add concentrated enforcement at predictable times of year: the 2025 summer task force made 134 DUI arrests over ten weeks, and the holiday task force made 200 from November 2025 through January 2026.
On I-270 and I-495, the Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack handles primary patrol in the county. For your case, none of this changes the analysis. What matters is the evidence from your own stop.
What a DUI defense reviews
- Whether the officer had a lawful reason to stop you, or a lawful basis for a checkpoint stop.
- What body-camera, dash-camera or other video actually shows.
- How field sobriety tests were explained, performed and scored, and whether weather, footwear, the road surface or a medical condition affected them.
- Whether breath-test procedures were followed and the operator and instrument were certified.
- How any blood sample was collected, stored and tested.
- Whether medication played a role. Our article on prescription drugs and DUI explains why a prescription is not an automatic defense.
What to bring to a consultation
- Citations, charging documents and any court notices
- Your Order of Suspension, temporary license and any MVA paperwork
- Receipts, photos, video and a written timeline of the evening
- A list of your medications and any relevant medical information
- Any messages from the MVA, the prosecutor, an insurer or your employer
What to do now
- Find the date on your Order of Suspension and mark the day 10 days after it.
- Decide with a lawyer whether to request an MVA hearing, and mail the request in time with the $150 fee.
- Look up your case and court date on Maryland Case Search.
- Write down what happened while you still remember it.
- Don’t post about the arrest or discuss it with anyone but your lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Where are DUI cases heard in Montgomery County?
Most start in the District Court of Maryland for Montgomery County, at 191 East Jefferson Street in Rockville or 8552 Second Avenue in Silver Spring. Jury trials and appeals are heard in the Circuit Court at 50 Maryland Avenue in Rockville.
Can I get a jury trial for a DUI in Montgomery County?
Yes, for a DUI charge, because it carries more than 90 days of possible jail. You ask for one before trial in the District Court, and the case moves to the Circuit Court. A DWI charge on its own does not carry a jury-trial right (Courts & Judicial Proceedings §4-302).
How do I request an MVA hearing after a DUI arrest in Montgomery County?
In writing, by mail to the Office of Administrative Hearings, 11101 Gilroy Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21031, with a $150 check or money order payable to the Maryland State Treasurer. The postmark date counts. Requesting a hearing within 10 days of the date on your Order of Suspension can preserve your temporary driving privilege while the MVA process is pending.
Is the Montgomery County police DUI unit still active?
In August 2026, Montgomery County police announced they were disbanding the Alcohol Initiatives Unit because of staffing shortages. The department says its impaired-driving task forces, saturation patrols and sobriety checkpoints will continue, and most DUI arrests were already being made by patrol officers.
How many DUI arrests happen in Montgomery County?
Montgomery County police recorded 1,214 DUI offenses in 2025, down from 1,306 in 2024, according to the department’s annual report. Its seasonal task forces made 134 DUI arrests in summer 2025 and 200 over the 2025–26 holiday season.
Talk to a DUI defense attorney about your Montgomery County case
Cochran & Chhabra Law Group represents drivers charged with DUI and DWI throughout Maryland, including Rockville, Bethesda, Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and the rest of Montgomery County, in court and at MVA hearings. Consultations are free and confidential. Request a consultation or call 410.268.5515. Learn more about our DUI and DWI defense practice.
Sources
- Maryland Judiciary, District Court: Montgomery County (Rockville)
- Maryland Judiciary, District Court: Montgomery County (Silver Spring)
- Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Criminal cases handled by the Circuit Court
- Md. Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §4-302 (District Court jurisdiction; jury trials)
- Md. Code, Courts & Judicial Proceedings §12-401 (appeals from the District Court)
- Md. Code, Transportation §16-205.1 (MVA suspension after a test or refusal)
- Md. Code, Transportation §21-902 (DUI and DWI)
- Maryland MVA, Request a Hearing
- Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings, Hearing locations
- Maryland Judiciary, Administrative order implementing a DUI Court in the District Court for Montgomery County (2023)
- Montgomery County Department of Police, 2025 Annual Report on Crime and Safety
- MoCo Show, Montgomery County Police Eliminate DUI Enforcement Unit (Aug. 28, 2026)
- WJLA, Montgomery County police defend decision to disband DUI unit (Sept. 1, 2026)
- Maryland Highway Safety Office, impaired-driving crash summary (July 2024)
- Maryland State Police, Rockville Barrack N
Updated September 25, 2026. This article provides general information about Maryland law, not legal advice for your situation.