Section 40-5-67. Seizure and disposition of driver's license of persons charged with driving under the influence; issuance of temporary driving permit; disposition of cases

   (a) Whenever any resident or nonresident person is charged with violating Code Section 40-6-391, the law enforcement officer shall take the driver's license of the person so charged. The driver's license shall be attached to the court's copy of the uniform traffic citation and complaint form and shall be forwarded to the court having jurisdiction of the offense. A copy of the uniform traffic citation and complaint form shall be forwarded, within ten days of issue, to the department. Taking the driver's license as required in this Code section shall not prohibit any law enforcement officer or agency from requiring any cash bond authorized by Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 17.

(b) At the time the law enforcement officer takes the driver's license, the officer shall issue a temporary driving permit to the person as follows:

   (1) If the driver refuses to submit to a test or tests to determine the presence of alcohol or drugs as required in Code Section 40-5-55, the officer shall issue a 30 day temporary driving permit;

   (2) If the driver's license is required to be suspended under Code Section 40-5-67.1, the officer shall issue a 30 day temporary driving permit; or

   (3) If the test or tests administered pursuant to Code Section 40-5-55 indicate an alcohol concentration in violation of Code Section 40-6-391 but less than the level for an administrative suspension of the license under subsection (c) of Code Section 40-5-67.1, the officer shall issue a 180 day temporary driving permit.

This temporary driving permit shall be valid for the stated period or until the person's driving privilege is suspended or revoked under any provision of this title. The department, at its sole discretion, may delay the expiration date of the temporary driving permit, but in no event shall this delay extend beyond the date when such person's driving privilege is suspended or revoked under any provision of this title. The department shall by rules and regulations establish the conditions under which the expiration of the temporary permit may be delayed.

(c) (1) If the person is convicted of violating or enters a plea of nolo contendere to a charge of violating Code Section 40-6-391, the court shall, within ten days, forward the person's driver's license and the record of the disposition of the case to the department. At this time, the court shall also require the person to surrender the temporary driving permit issued pursuant to subsection (b) of this Code section.

   (2) If the person is not convicted of violating and does not enter a plea of nolo contendere to a charge of violating Code Section 40-6-391, and the court is in possession of the driver's license, the court shall return the driver's license to the person unless the license is in suspension for any other offense, in which case the court shall forward the license to the department for disposition.

Code 1981, § 40-5-69, enacted by Ga. L. 1983, p. 1000, § 1; Code 1981, § 40-5-67, as redesignated by Ga. L. 1990, p. 2048, § 4; Ga. L. 1992, p. 2564, § 5; Ga. L. 1994, p. 1600, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 760, § 19; Ga. L. 2000, p. 951, § 5-28.