Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program

Pennsylvania’s unique Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program – also called the ARD program – may be an option for you. It must be the first time that you have been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance. Not everyone is eligible. And it is essential that your effort to enter the program be facilitated correctly. Call me for an evaluation of your case.


ARD is a second chance for first time DUI offenders. Here is what ARD means to you:

Accelerated: It is faster than waiting for a case to come to trial. It is designed to get an offender the help they need quickly, in an effort to prevent future offenses.

Rehabilitative: The focus is not on punishing you, but on providing rehabilitation through alcohol education courses and treatment.

Disposition: Your license will be suspended, but generally for a shorter period than is required if you have been convicted of DUI. You may also be required to perform community service.

If you complete the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program successfully, the charges can be dismissed and the record of your case can be expunged. ARD completion is not a conviction. In this age of employment background checks, it could mean the difference between advancing and derailing a career. For this reason, many people consider it to be an opportunity to make a “fresh start” or to get a “second chance” after they made a bad choice to drink and drive and got caught. If you are facing DUI charges for the first time, call my office for advice and assistance in applying for this important second chance opportunity.

Admission to the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program is up to the District Attorney of the county in which you were arrested for DUI. He or she has sole discretion on whether you are accepted. The application must be filed with the correct Magisterial District Court. It must be filed prior to your scheduled preliminary hearing, along with a form that waives your right to that hearing. If you lack familiarity with the criminal justice system, legal assistance with this process can be advisable. Call my office today.

I was a Deputy District Attorney in Bucks County and an Assistant D.A. in Berks County. I know the District Courts and how they work. I know the decision makers, and they know me. Call now to put that experience to work for you.

The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program is not a “get out of jail free” card.

• Failure to comply with all of the rules and conditions can have very serious consequences. For example, if you failed to attend the mandatory alcohol education courses, you would be removed from the ARD Program and the District Attorney would have your case put back on the list for trial on the original charges. It is important that you are serious about completing the requirements.
• Even if you complete the program successfully, it will be considered a prior conviction if you are arrested for DUI at any time within the following ten years. This would increase the mandatory sentence requirements for subsequent DUI convictions.

The Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program may not be for everyone. It can depend on the strength of the case against you, and many other legal factors. You will find me to be a very straight shooter, who will communicate very clearly what you can expect and whether ARD is the appropriate option for you.


Are you eligible for the Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition Program? Call now from Norristown, Doylestown, Montgomeryville, Bristol, Bensalem, Falls Township, Fallsington, Warrington, Warminster and Croyden. No defense attorney or legal firm can offer you any guarantee about the outcome of your case. The Law Office of Sharif N. Abaza, however, can offer you a free evaluation of the details of your case and charges, and provide you with the kind of support that every case deserves.