What are the CRN evaluation, Alcohol Highway Safety School and treatment requirements after a DUI in Delaware County?

Last updated October 26, 2026.

After a Pennsylvania DUI there are three separate requirements: a Court Reporting Network (CRN) evaluation for everyone convicted or offered ARD, Alcohol Highway Safety School for ARD and for first and second offenses, and a full drug and alcohol assessment, with treatment, when the law or the evaluation calls for it (75 Pa.C.S. 3804, 3807, 3814 and 3816). In Delaware County, the CRN evaluation is done by Diagnostic Services in the Courthouse basement for $70, and the 12.5-hour class is held in person in Media or Sharon Hill for $225. Any treatment must follow the assessment's recommendations at a licensed program (3815(c)).

These steps sit alongside the court case, not inside it, and they come with their own schedulers, fees and rules about where you may complete them. For the penalties they accompany, see our main DUI defense page.

How do the evaluation, classes and treatment work in Delaware County, step by step?

1. Schedule the CRN evaluation. Diagnostic Services schedules it at 610-892-3226. The county calls the CRN "a pre-screening tool used to determine if a person will be referred for a more Comprehensive Full DUI Assessment," and notes that Pennsylvania also uses it to collect statistics.
2. Pay the fee where the county takes money. The department does not collect money. Fees go to Court Financial Services on the ground floor of the Government Center, 201 W. Front Street, or online through the state court payment portal.
3. Attend the evaluation. It takes place at the Diagnostic Services office, 201 West Front Street, Basement, Stairwell R. A missed appointment carries a $50 no-show fee.
4. Follow any referral. If the CRN, the test result or a prior offense calls for it, a full assessment follows. The DA's ARD application warns that "a Drug and Alcohol evaluation may be required from the CRN," and Diagnostic Services lists a drug and alcohol evaluation, scheduled through the same number, at $175.
5. Register for Alcohol Highway Safety School. The county's classes are run through the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center: call 610-237-8630, email the center or register online. Classes meet at the training center, 1600 Calcon Hook Road, Sharon Hill, and in the Government Center's first floor jury room in Media.
6. Complete any treatment. Treatment must match the assessment's recommendations and be provided by a licensed program (3815(c)(1) and (2)). Diagnostic Services publishes a list of approved providers in and near the county.
7. Keep proof. Completion of court-ordered treatment is reported, and the license may not be restored until the treatment program is complete (75 Pa.C.S. 1541(d)).

Where these offices sit in the Courthouse complex, and how they fit with the rest of the case, is covered in what to expect at the Delaware County Courthouse.

Which requirement applies to me, and when?

The full assessment looks at more than a screening tool can. The statute requires it to consider public safety and to recommend a level of care and follow-up monitoring, and for a conviction also a length of stay (3814(4)). The assessment may be done by the county drug and alcohol agency or its designee, or by clinical staff at a licensed treatment facility (3814(3); 3807(b)(3)). Short definitions of CRN, the safety school and the other terms on your paperwork are in our Pennsylvania DUI glossary.

What do the three counties charge, and how do they schedule?

The requirement is statewide, but each county runs its own program under a DUI Coordinator. Chester County's DUI Program page explains that the role dates to 1977, when Pennsylvania formalized its Alcohol Highway Safety Program and named a DUI Coordinator for each county under the President Judge. Each county posts its own fees and rules:

The fees are the ones each county lists on its program page today, and counties change them. How the same items add up with court costs and PennDOT charges is explained in what a DUI costs in Delaware County beyond the fine.

Chester County's classes meet Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on a Monday and Tuesday option, and in Spanish on weekends, and people who live within 50 miles of the DUI Program office in West Chester must take the class in Chester County. Montgomery County lists a broader set of reasons for a full assessment than the statute's ARD list: a prior DUI, being under 21 at the time of arrest, use of a controlled substance, a refused test, or a BAC of 0.16% or higher. Its page says treatment after the assessment may be done through Rise Above or another state-certified provider. The local court steps in West Chester are on what to expect at the Chester County Justice Center. For Norristown, see what to expect at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

How does timing work with ARD in Delaware County?

The CRN must come before ARD (3807(b)(1)(ii)), and the county gives a reason to finish early. Its September 2026 ARD application says every DUI-ARD applicant "must complete a CRN and ASDS" (the alcohol safe driving school), and that if both are completed before formal arraignment, the recommended community service "will be cut in half prior to admission into ARD." That same application still lists the classes as online, while Diagnostic Services says the classes have been in person since January 1, 2024, so register through the training center and confirm the format.

Because those deadlines are measured from formal arraignment, the order matters: schedule the CRN early, then the class, and leave time for a full assessment if the CRN or a 0.16% result requires one. The whole calendar, from the preliminary hearing to the pretrial conference, is laid out in how long a DUI case takes in Delaware County. Whether the program is open to you at all is a separate question, answered in ARD eligibility after a DUI in Delaware County.

What happens if I do not finish treatment?

The consequences run on both the court side and the license side. For an ARD participant, failing any condition counts as unsuccessful participation, the record is not expunged, and the court directs the prosecutor to proceed on the charges (3807(e)). For someone on parole who was found to need treatment, failing to comply or leaving the program without authorization leads to revocation of parole or any other release status (3815(d)). When a treatment program reports noncompliance, the parole authority must schedule a revocation hearing (3815(c)(4)).

On the license side, a defendant ordered to treatment through a conviction or ARD must finish every requirement before the license can be restored, and successful completion includes paying court-imposed fines and costs and the program's own fees, though being current on a payment plan counts (75 Pa.C.S. 1541(d)). Act 36 of 2026 rewrites the reporting rule in 3816(b), effective about November 2027. As amended, it requires the court to forward the completion report to PennDOT within five days of completion and gives PennDOT discretion to credit time toward the ignition interlock requirement when a report arrives late. How restoration and the interlock fit together is explained in when PennDOT suspends your license after a DUI.

What changes the answer?

• ARD or conviction. ARD has its own evaluation and assessment rules in 3807(b); a conviction follows 3814 and 3815. Both require the CRN.
• Your record. A DUI sentence within ten years before the new offense makes the full assessment mandatory at sentencing (3814(2)(i)). Repeat cases also bring sentencing alternatives tied to treatment, covered in whether treatment or house arrest can replace jail for a second DUI.
• Your test result. A BAC of 0.16% or higher requires a full assessment under both the ARD and the sentencing statutes (3807(b)(2)(ii); 3814(2)(ii)(B)).
• Your age. Montgomery County lists being under 21 among its assessment triggers; the other under-21 rules are on our juvenile DUI page.
• Where you live. Delaware County accepts CRN and class referrals from other jurisdictions, but the request must come from that jurisdiction's DUI Coordinator, and Chester County's 50-mile rule keeps nearby residents in its own classes. Drivers from other states should also read what happens when an out-of-state driver gets a Pennsylvania DUI.
• Insurance and ability to pay. A covered health plan may not deny alcohol or drug treatment within its scope because the problem was identified through the assessment (3807(c); 3815(g)), and a parole authority must set a payment schedule for someone unable to pay the full fees (3815(f)(2)).

For example: a first DUI at 0.17% headed for ARD

Here is a hypothetical. A driver with no record is arrested in Ridley Township, tests at 0.17% and, with a lawyer, plans to apply for ARD. In the first week the driver calls Diagnostic Services, pays the $70 CRN fee through the online portal and keeps the receipt. Because the result is above 0.16%, a full assessment is required for ARD regardless of what the CRN shows (3807(b)(2)(ii)), so the driver schedules the drug and alcohol evaluation as well.

The assessment recommends outpatient counseling, and the driver enrolls with a provider on the county's approved list. Meanwhile the driver registers with the training center, pays the $225 class fee by debit card and completes the 12.5 hours in Sharon Hill before formal arraignment, which halves the recommended community service. Counseling continues during ARD probation, and the driver keeps paying toward the program costs so restoration is not held up under 1541(d). This example is only an illustration; every case depends on its own facts.

What mistakes do people make with the CRN, classes and treatment?

• Treating the CRN as the whole requirement. It is a screening step; a full assessment and treatment can follow from it or from a high test result.
• Registering for an online class. Delaware County says its classes have been in person since 2024; follow the county's current instructions, not an older form.
• Taking the class in the wrong county. Chester County requires its own class for people within 50 miles of its office, and transfers need the DUI Coordinator.
• Missing appointments. No-show and make-up fees apply in all three counties, and a missed step can push back an ARD date.
• Stopping treatment early. An incomplete program keeps the license suspended (1541(d)) and can end ARD or parole (3807(e); 3815(d)).

What should I do this week?

1. Confirm which county's court has your case; that county's program usually handles the CRN and class.
2. Ask your lawyer when to schedule the CRN, and whether ARD is the plan.
3. Call the scheduling line and pay the fee where the county says, keeping every receipt.
4. Check your health insurance for alcohol and drug treatment coverage.
5. Register for the class early enough to finish before formal arraignment if ARD is possible.
6. Keep the rest of the first days organized with our first-week checklist after a DUI arrest in Delaware County.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CRN evaluation the same as a drug and alcohol assessment?

No. The CRN is a screening required for every DUI (3816(a)); the full assessment is a separate, deeper evaluation that recommends a level of care and follow-up (3814(2) to (4)). Delaware County lists them as two evaluations with different fees.

Do I have to finish the class before my case ends?

For ARD in Delaware County, finishing it before formal arraignment is what halves the community service, and the CRN must be done before ARD. For a conviction, the school and treatment are part of the sentence (3804(a) to (c)).

Can I take the class in another county or state?

Delaware County accepts referrals from other jurisdictions for the CRN and the class when that jurisdiction's DUI Coordinator sends the request. Chester County requires its own class for people living within 50 miles of its West Chester office.

Who pays for all of this?

You do. In ARD the participant pays the costs of the school, the evaluation and any treatment (3807(b)(1)(viii)), and each county posts its own fees.

What if I cannot afford treatment?

Tell your lawyer early. Covered health plans may not deny treatment because of the assessment (3807(c)), being current on a payment plan counts toward restoration (1541(d)), and a parole authority must set a payment schedule for someone who cannot pay in full (3815(f)(2)).

Does PennDOT learn whether I finished treatment?

Yes. A record goes to PennDOT on whether treatment was ordered and whether it was completed (3816(b)), and the license is not restored until court-ordered treatment is finished (1541(d)).

Call Giribaldi Law at (610) 891-8303 or contact us online for a free consultation about the evaluation, classes and treatment in your DUI case.