Any person who is aggrieved by the interview of the department may request a formal hearing on the matter. The request for formal hearing must be in writing and must be addressed to the department of licensing and postmarked within fifteen days following the mailing of the decision of the department to the person. Failure to make timely request for a formal hearing to the department shall be considered a withdrawal of the person's request for adjudicative proceedings and shall result in a waiver of the person's right to such hearing and the decision of the department shall become final.

If a timely request for a formal hearing is made, the department shall notify the person of the time of such hearing in writing, and mail such notice to the person's last address of record, at least twenty days in advance of the hearing date. In accordance with RCW 34.05.449(3), the hearing shall be by telephone or other electronic means. If in the discretion of the presiding officer an in-person hearing is necessary, the hearing shall be held within a reasonable distance of the county wherein the person resides, or, if the person is a nonresident of Washington, in the county where the accident occurred. The notice shall include the information required by RCW 34.05.434(2).