DUI FAQs

The 20 Most Frequently Asked Questions About DUI Cases

As Southern California and Los Angeles DUI Attorneys, people call and visit us everyday seeking insight into the DUI process. Most clients have never had to think about how to handle a DUI charge. Then a sudden, unexpected DUI arrest thrusts them into a battle fraught with complex legal, financial and scientific issues.

• Should I get a DUI attorney?
• Is there any use trying to fight the DUI case?
• What happens to my California drivers license?
• If I do get a DUI conviction, what does that mean for my car insurance, my criminal record, and my future employment prospects?
• Where do I go from here? What should I do?

Below, we’ve assembled answers to the 20 DUI questions that clients ask us the most. The answers are succinct. We could elaborate much further on any of these issues. But the questions and answers give you an introductory education in the issues facing a person charged with a California DUI. If you need further assistance, we invite you to call or email us to speak directly with an Inland Empire or Los Angeles area DUI attorney.

1. The DUI officer never read me my Miranda Rights. What does this mean?

2. If the machine registered my BAC over the legal limit, is there any point trying to fight the DUI case?

3. Will the DUI arrest cause me to lose my California drivers license?

4. If I am convicted of DUI, what will it ultimately cost me financially?

5. I’ve seen ads from DUI attorneys offering to represent me for $500.00. Other DUI lawyers charge $5000.00. Why this huge difference?

6. What happens if I go to court by myself, without a DUI attorney?

7. Don’t I have a right to speak to a DUI lawyer before deciding whether to take the BAC breath or blood test?

8. If I get arrested for DUI, is it better to choose the BAC breath test or the BAC blood test?

9. My citation says I am charged with Vehicle Code Sections 23152(a) and 23152(b)? Why am I being charged with two crimes?

10. Are the California DUI penalties greater for higher BAC levels?

11. I heard that I (or my California DUI Attorney) must call the DMV within 10 days of a DUI arrest. Can you explain why?

12. The DUI officer took my drivers license. What do I do now with no picture I.D.?

13. How long does a DUI conviction stay on my record? Can I ever get it removed from my record?

14. If I hire a DUI attorney, do I have to go to court?

15. If I have a clean record up until now, can I get a better deal in DUI court?

16. What if I have witnesses who can verify that I did not appear drunk?

17. How Can I get a copy of the DUI Police Report?

18. Should I tell my insurance company about the DUI arrest? How will the DUI affect my car insurance rates?

19. Are Some Cities & Courthouses Harsher on DUI Offenders than Others?

20. Is it possible to get the whole DUI case dismissed?