Frequently Asked Questions

The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program is offered by the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office. While it can be used for other crimes, it is most often considered for first offense DUI defendants. Information in this section pertains to ARD as it relates to DUI offenders. In essence, ARD is a one-time alternative to a trial, conviction and possible mandatory jail sentence for the offense of driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance.

An offender will not be considered for ARD if any of the following apply:

• The offender has been convicted of DUI or accepted into ARD within 10 years of the date of the current offense.
• A crash occurred in connection with the offense where a person, other than the offender, was killed or suffered a serious bodily injury.
• A passenger under 14 years of age was in the vehicle the offender was operating.
• The offender did not have a valid driver's license, and/or was suspended, and/or did not have insurance, regardless of whether they were charged with those specific offenses.
• The offender has an extensive driving record as determined by the District Attorney's Office.
• The offender's BAC is .240% or above.
• The offender had any amount of opioids, methamphetamine, hallucinogens (i.e. MDMA; LSD), dissociative anesthetics (i.e. Ketamine; PCP), or derivatives or analogues in their blood.
• The offender was a CDL-holder at the time of the offense. 

Exceptions may be made in extraordinary circumstances.

Yes. Applications must be submitted by the offender's preliminary hearing date and no later than the formal arraignment date.

In order to apply for ARD you must:

1. Waive your preliminary hearing;
2. Complete an ARD application and submit it and proof of insurance (at the time of the offense) to the District Attorney's Office;
3. Sign and submit an ARD continuance form; and
4. Schedule a CRN evaluation with Adult Probation at DUI Central Court.

Applications can be filled out online or printed out and completed by hand. Paper applications are also available at Lancaster County DUI Central Court and at the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.

Applications can be submitted by email along with proof of insurance (at the time of the offense) to DUI-ARD@lancastercountypa.gov or in-person at DUI Central Court or the District Attorney's Office. Applications and proof of insurance (at the time of the offense) can also be mailed to the District Attorney's Office:

Lancaster County Courthouse

District Attorney's Office

50 N. Duke Street

P.O. Box 3480

Lancaster, PA 17608

No, but there is no substitute for competent legal advice and the District Attorney's Office cannot give you legal advice. Consulting with an attorney will ensure that you understand the charges filed against you, your rights, ARD and any other legal alternatives available to you. If you cannot afford an attorney, contact the Lancaster County Bail Administration Office at 717-295-3584 to apply for a Public Defender.

CRN stands for Court Reporting Network. A CRN evaluation involves completing a questionnaire that assesses your drug and alcohol use. A certified CRN evaluator will ask you a series of questions and your responses scored. The results of the evaluation are sent to the District Attorney's Office and provided to the judge at the time of an ARD hearing.

CRN evaluation can be scheduled at DUI Central Court. The results of the evaluation will be sent to the District Attorney's Office.

There is an administrative fee of $950 unless you qualify for a court-appointed attorney. If so, the fee is $650. This fee must be paid prior to the scheduled ARD hearing. 

You can also expect to pay a fine, court costs, a fee for the alcohol safe driving class, and a probation supervision fee. While the fine, court costs, and fees are standardized, they are subject to change at the discretion of the court or the district attorney.

Please refer to the below driver's license suspension guidelines.

* If the offender is involved in an accident, the driver's license suspension is 60 days regardless of the BAC level.

**PenDOT will suspend the offender's driver's license for one year on refusals.

NOTE: An offender may be subject to the SCRAM monitor as a condition of their supervision for a period of time depending on their case. 

No. The District Attorney's Office has the discretion to disapprove ARD for any defendant, because the facts and circumstances of each offense are different. The District Attorney's Office evaluates each arrest on a case-by-case basis to determine if ARD is appropriate.

You may download or print the ARD application or get one from the District Attorney's Office. This is a three-page application. Because there are separate applications for DUI and non-DUI offenses, you must be certain that you complete the correct application.

You can download a Continuance Form or get one at the District Attorney's Office.

Within six months of the filing of a criminal complaint, the offender must:

• Complete the CRN evaluation;
• Obtain a Drug & Alcohol evaluation, if recommended;
• Register for any recommended drug and alcohol treatment;
• Successfully complete the Alcohol Highway Safety School;
• Complete any required Community Service Hours; and
• Pay the administrative fee, in full, to the Collections Enforcement Unit any time after formal arraignment but before the scheduled ARD hearing.

Once an offender has complied with all the requirements as identified, the District Attorney's Office will receive a memo from Adult Parole and Probation Services, at which time the offender will be scheduled by the district attorney for a date for formal admittance by a judge into the ARD program.

After formal acceptance into the ARD program, the offender must remain under supervision for 12 months, remain crime-free and must complete the following within the first six months of supervision:

• Successfully complete any required drug and alcohol treatment;
• Pay any remaining restitution, fines, costs, surcharges and/or evaluation charges; and
• Comply with all other conditions of the program.

Failure to comply with any condition or provision of the ARD program will be deemed an unsuccessful completion of the program. In such a case, the District Attorney's Office may proceed to prosecution on the DUI and the underlying record shall not be expunged.

Upon successful completion of the program the DUI charge is dismissed. You will not serve a jail sentence. Furthermore, under the law, an offender's record for DUI may be expunged.