Arkansas DUI classes come in two mandatory pieces: the Drug and Alcohol Safety Education Program (DASEP) and a Victim Impact Panel (VIP). Both are required after a DWI conviction, both must be completed through providers approved by the state, and the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) will not reinstate your license until it has proof you finished each one.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-115 – Alcohol Treatment or Education
What DASEP Is and What It Covers
DASEP is the core education requirement for anyone whose license is suspended or revoked under Arkansas DWI law. The program is delivered by providers contracted through the Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services (DAABHS) of the Department of Human Services.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-115 – Alcohol Treatment or Education You can enroll before your court case is resolved, but if your charges are later dismissed you will not get a refund.
Every enrollee starts with a screening and assessment. A DASEP provider evaluates your substance use history to decide whether you belong in the education track or need a referral to a licensed treatment program. That evaluation sets your path.
If you are placed in the education track, the program runs 12 to 15 contact hours and covers how alcohol and drugs affect your body, your driving ability, and your legal standing.2Arkansas Department of Human Services. Drug and Alcohol Safety Education Program Guidelines If the screening reveals a more serious substance use issue, you will be referred to a state-licensed treatment program instead. Treatment takes longer than the standard education track and costs more, and its fees are separate from the statutory DASEP cap.
When you finish, the provider issues a DASEP certificate. That certificate is your proof of completion, and you must submit the original signed copy to the DFA’s Office of Driver Services before your license can be reinstated.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-115 – Alcohol Treatment or Education Without it, your suspension continues.
DASEP Costs
State law caps DASEP fees at $150 total: up to $125 for the program itself, plus up to $25 for administrative reporting costs.1Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-115 – Alcohol Treatment or Education If your screening sends you to a treatment program instead, expect to pay more, and the amount will depend on the program’s length and intensity.
The Victim Impact Panel
The Victim Impact Panel is the second required class, and it is separate from DASEP. Rather than teaching about substances, the VIP focuses on the human cost of impaired driving. Victims and their family members share personal accounts of how drunk or drugged driving affected their lives.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-121 – Victim Impact Panel Attendance – Fee
It is a single session, typically two to three hours long. The panel must be run by an organization approved by DAABHS, and that organization is specifically a DASEP contractor.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-121 – Victim Impact Panel Attendance – Fee At the end, you receive a proof-of-completion document that goes to the DFA as part of your reinstatement file.
The fee is $40 per enrollee, or $10 if you are in the custody of the Department of Corrections.3Justia Law. Arkansas Code 5-65-121 – Victim Impact Panel Attendance – Fee
Finding an Approved Provider
Only DAABHS can approve DASEP and VIP providers, so you cannot substitute a class from another state or an online program that has not been vetted. The DFA maintains an Alcohol Education Directory listing every approved provider across Arkansas.4Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Alcohol Education Directory Enroll through a provider on that list and both certificates will be recognized by the Office of Driver Services.
What Happens If You Don’t Complete the Classes
Two things go wrong when you skip or delay the classes.
First, your suspension does not end on its own. Arkansas suspends driving privileges for six months on a first offense, 24 months on a second, 30 months on a third, and revokes for four years on a fourth within a five-year window.5Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. DUI, DWI, BUI, BWI Offenses Those periods are the minimum. Reinstatement still requires the certificates, and until they arrive at the DFA your suspension simply continues.
Second, if DASEP and the VIP were made conditions of your probation or a deferred sentence, non-completion is a probation violation. That can put you back in front of the sentencing judge facing additional penalties, including jail time.
How the Classes Fit Into Reinstatement
Finishing the two classes is necessary but not sufficient. When you apply to reinstate, the Office of Driver Services expects the full package:
- Your original signed DASEP completion certificate (or proof of treatment program completion)
- Your VIP proof of attendance and completion
- Proof of financial responsibility on file (an SR-22 from your insurer)
- Payment of the $150 reinstatement fee6Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Refusals
- Verification of ignition interlock device installation, if applicable
The reinstatement fee is payable to the DFA online, by mail, or in person at any State Revenue Office. If your license was revoked on a fourth offense, you will also need to pass all phases of the Arkansas driver’s license exam before you can get it back.6Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Refusals
The DFA will not process a partial file. If any single item is missing, the application stops there and the suspension keeps running. Enroll in DASEP early, book the VIP as soon as the provider has an open date, and keep the original certificates safe until you file them.