The DUI officer took my drivers license. What do I do now, with no picture I.D.?
If you get arrested for a California DUI charge, the officer takes away your California drivers license and mails it to the DMV for suspension consideration. In place of your physical drivers license, the DUI officer gives you a pink paper that functions as a temporary license.
If you should get pulled over during the weeks following the DUI arrest, the pink paper serves as your California drivers license. But what can you do in terms of having an official photo identification?
You have two options for obtaining a photo ID: (1) Obtain a United States Passport, or (2) obtain a California Identification Card. You can apply for a passport at any of the 8000 passport acceptance facilities, But for a rush passport, you will have to go to the Los Angeles Passport Agency.
To obtain a California Identification Card, you will need to visit a local DMV office (these cannot be obtained online). You must pay the $22 application fee, fill out a form called a DL 44, give a thumb print, have your picture taken, provide your social security number, and provide proof of your birth date and legal presence in the United States.
After the DUI arrest, when will my California Drivers License be returned to me?
Your California Drivers License will be returned when either (1) you serve out and complete the period of suspension, or (2) the suspension is “set aside.” The suspension gets set aside if either (1) the breath or blood test results come back less than .08, (2) your California DUI attorney wins the APS hearing at the DMV, or (3) you are acquitted in court of the Vehicle Code 23152(b) charge.