Pennsylvania DUI programs · AHSS
PA Alcohol Highway Safety School: 12.5 Hours, the CRN Evaluation, and Cost
Alcohol Highway Safety School (AHSS) is Pennsylvania’s required DUI class. It is a classroom course of at least 12.5 hours, run by your county DUI program and approved by PennDOT. It comes after a Court Reporting Network (CRN) evaluation, a short screening that decides whether you also need a full drug and alcohol assessment.
Quick answer: who, how long, cost, and online
First and second DUI offenders, and everyone in DUI ARD, must complete AHSS. It is at least 12.5 hours of classroom instruction, breaks not included. Fees are set by each county: Chester County lists $225 and Montgomery County lists $250, with the CRN billed separately. There is no statewide online option, so get your county DUI program’s written approval before paying for any virtual class.
Who has to attend AHSS
- First and second DUI offenses. 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804 requires AHSS for first and second offenses at every BAC tier: general impairment, high BAC, and highest BAC or controlled substances.
- ARD. Under § 3807(b), attending and completing AHSS is a condition of Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition for a DUI charge.
- Third or later offenses are not sentenced to AHSS. The statute requires compliance with drug and alcohol treatment requirements instead.
How the process works, step by step
| Step | What happens | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| CRN evaluation | A standardized Court Reporting Network screening that looks at your involvement with alcohol or drugs and helps the court decide your sentence or ARD conditions | Before sentencing or before ARD |
| Full drug and alcohol assessment | Required if you had a DUI within the past 10 years, the CRN shows a need, or your BAC was 0.16% or higher | Before sentencing, if it applies |
| Alcohol Highway Safety School | A PennDOT-approved course run by your county DUI program: at least 12.5 hours of classroom instruction | As part of your sentence, probation, or ARD |
| Treatment, if ordered | Whatever level of care the assessment recommends and the court orders | Per the court order |
| Restoration | PennDOT restores your license once every requirement, including any ordered treatment, is reported complete | After the suspension ends |
Your county DUI program coordinator oversees the CRN, the AHSS, and referrals for assessment. In many counties that office sits inside adult probation. Chester and Montgomery are two examples. If an assessment is needed, your county drug and alcohol office can explain assessment and treatment funding options.
What the course covers and the attendance rules
PennDOT’s regulations (67 Pa. Code § 94.5) require a uniform curriculum of at least 12½ hours in five core components. It covers basic alcohol and drug information, how they affect the body and judgment, alcoholism and addiction, and highway safety. The course opens with a knowledge inventory and closes with a chance to evaluate the school and instructor. Other rules from Chapter 94:
- No more than 25 students per class.
- Each component has a 15-minute break that does not count toward the 12½ hours.
- Miss a component and you repeat the whole curriculum. The instructor can excuse you from one component (never the first), which you must attend at the next available course.
- Instructors must be certified through a PennDOT process and recertified every 2 years.
- Classes are to be scheduled around most students’ work hours, including evenings and weekends where appropriate.
What AHSS costs
| County (example) | AHSS class | CRN evaluation | Reschedule fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County | $225 | $75 | $50 (missed class) |
| Montgomery County | $250 | $100 | $50 |
These are examples only. Each county sets its own fees, and you pay all AHSS costs (67 Pa. Code § 94.4). Treatment, if the court orders it, is a separate cost.
Online AHSS is not approved statewide. Chapter 94 describes classroom instruction run by each county DUI program under a PennDOT letter of approval, and Montgomery County says all instruction is in a classroom. A generic online “DUI class” is not a PennDOT-approved AHSS. If you live in another county or state, ask your county DUI program coordinator how to transfer or complete the requirement.
How completion reaches the court and PennDOT
The county DUI program keeps your attendance record and issues your completion. Chester County, for example, gives you a certificate of completion and sends your AHSS completion date and CRN to its probation department. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3816(b), a record goes to PennDOT on whether the court ordered treatment. If you do not finish ordered treatment, your suspension stays in effect until the court tells PennDOT you have finished.
To see everything you still owe, request PennDOT’s free driver license restoration requirements letter. You can get it online, or PennDOT mails it about 30 days before your eligibility date. Under ARD, § 3807(d) sets the suspension by BAC: none below 0.10%, 30 days for 0.10% to under 0.16%, and 60 days for 0.16% or higher.
Source & accuracy: the AHSS definition, the 12½-hour minimum, the 25-student cap, the break, repeat and instructor rules, and the pay-your-own-costs rule come from PennDOT’s regulations at 67 Pa. Code Chapter 94. Who must attend comes from 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 3804 and 3807. The CRN, full-assessment and treatment-reporting rules come from §§ 3814 and 3816. The ARD suspension tiers come from § 3807(d) and PennDOT. County fees, CRN length, the classroom-only statement and the certificate process are from Chester and Montgomery counties and differ elsewhere. Your court order and county DUI program control, so confirm details with them. We are an independent directory. We do not run programs, we cannot enroll you, and none of these links are affiliate links. This is general information, not legal advice. Sources: 67 Pa. Code Chapter 94, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3804, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3807, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3814, 75 Pa.C.S. § 3816, PennDOT — DUI legislation, PennDOT — restoration requirements letter, Chester County DUI Program, Montgomery County DUI Program.