The penalties for a California DUI can be very serious including jail time, substantial fines, probation, court-imposed alcohol programs, higher car insurance premiums and the loss of employment opportunities.
The Range of Possible Penalties for California DUI Convictions are as Follows:
1st Offense, No prior DUI Offense
- License Suspension: 6 Months
- Probation: 1-5 Years
- Mandatory Alcohol Classes: 3 to 9 Months
- Fines: $390.00 to $1,000.00
- Possible Jail: 0 to 6 Months
- Car Insurance: Substantial Rise or Termination
Second Offense within 10 years
- License Suspension: 2 Years
- Probation: 1-5 Years
- Mandatory Alcohol Classes: 18 Months
- Fines: $390.00 to $1,000.00
- Possible Jail: 96 hours to 1 Year
- Car Insurance: Substantial Rise or Termination
Third Offense within 10 years
- License Suspension: 3 Years
- Probation: 1-5 Years
- Mandatory Alcohol Classes: 18 Months (if offender hasn’t completed one)
- Fines: $390.00 to $1,000.00
- Possible Jail: 4 Months to 1 Year
- Car Insurance: Substantial Rise or Termination
Fourth Offense within 10 years
- Can be filed as a felony
- License Suspension: 4 Years
- Probation: 1-5 Years (or state prison)
- Mandatory Alcohol Classes: 18 Months (if offender hasn’t completed one)
- Proposed Fines: $390.00 to $1,000.00
- Possible Jail: 6 Months to 3 Years
- Car Insurance: Possible Drastic Rise or Termination
San Bernardino County DUI Penalties:
The courts and district attorney in San Bernardino County instituted a policy of higher penalties on second and third offense DUIs. Second DUI offenders in San Bernardino County get 30 days jail, 45 if they are still on probation from the first. Third DUI offenders get 120 days jail (the statutory minimum), but 180 days jail if they are still on probation for either of the priors.
NOTE: Any of these penalties may be increased for the following sentence enhancements:
- Refusal to submit to Chemical Tests
- Probation violations for prior DUIs
- Accidents causing injury
- BAC over .15
- Speeding – 30 mph over speed limit on freeway – 20 mph over speed limit on other roads
- Passenger under the age of 14 years old in the car.
- License restriction may be implemented in addition to the suspensions