California DUI Info
Intro: Your First DUI
Step 1: The Day After
Step 2: DMV & The Court
Step 3: The Hard Suspension
Step 4: MADD Meeting
Step 5: DUI Classes
Step 6: Community Service & Fines
Step 7: Your License & Insurance
Your First DUI
So you got your first DUI…Big Whoop. Nearly 1.4 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence in 2005 (according to the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control). So what does that mean? It means that the laws are getting more strict with the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) level now at a 0.08, and anything at or above that level will get you a DUI. Yes, that’s correct, even at exactly a 0.08 BAC you will get a DUI. Hell, I’ve talked to a guy that had a 0.05 with a DUI.
So here is what you need to know about your DUI…
Step 1: The Day After
After you’ve been released from the jail cell, that pig of a cop will issue you a pink piece of paper. This paper will state that your license has been suspended, and will serve as a temporary license valid for 30 days.
Step 2: DMV & The Court
- The DMV: You will have 10 DAYS to call the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) to schedule an administrative hearing, otherwise known as the Administrative License Suspension (ALS). This is to contest the DUI suspension.
- The Court: You will receive through the mail a scheduled date on your hearing. This is when you
will be in front of the judge to plead guilty or not guilty.
You’re probably wondering why you have to go through both the DMV and the Court? It’s because the DMV thinks that they are god. You will hear this from many other people as well when you attend your DUI classes and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Yes, you have to attend them. There’s no way out, except to go to jail.
Tip [1]: If you hire a Lawyer, he will call DMV to schedule the administrative hearing, and attend both DMV and Court hearings. He is your bitch. What else are you paying the high $2,500 for! It will definitely help if you cannot miss work days, because your lawyer will do/attend everything for you and will keep you updated.
Tip [2]: I’ve heard that most people plead guilty on their own, and the Judge will most of the time be linient on you. But probably not if you have a BAC of 0.2 or more
Step 3: The Hard Suspension
Upon being found guilty and having your license suspended, you will automatically have a Hard Suspension, meaning that you cannot operate a motorized vehicle for 30 days under any circumstances. Not to work or anywhere!
Tip: Not that I’m saying to do it…but what are the chances of getting caught driving to work and back? Why waste money on the bus…However, note that if you do get caught driving on a suspended license, the punishment is far greater than getting a DUI itself.
Step 4: MADD Meeting
You will have to attend a MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) meeting. The Court will send you a paper on Date and Time. In this meeting, you will only sit and listen to horror stories from the friends or family of DUI victims or survivors. You must attend this (and the rest listed below) to get your license back.
Tip: Upon attending the MADD meeting, you will be required to pay $20 to enter. It’s not really required. They will tell you that if you don’t pay, they won’t give you a receipt of attending…It’s a scare tactic. You will sign-in when attending and they will send it to the courts to show that you attended. Don’t let them scare you! You will need all the money you can save for the Court and DUI class fees!
Step 5: DUI Classes
You will have to sign up for a 3 month DUI class. It’s not that bad. Aside from it costing about $500, you will only have to attend the class once per week (approx. 3hr class). During the 3 months, you will also be required to attend 6 AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) sessions somewhere outside. A list of AA meeting places will be given to you.
Tip [1]: Don’t miss any of your DUI classes, or you will be charged a fee (usually $35) for each class missed, and you will have to make it up. The classes were pretty fun. It’s laid back and the teacher jokes around alot. Plus, you can meet some pretty cool people in there too with some pretty funny DUI stories of their own…
Tip [2]: When attending the AA meetings, they will pass a collection basket around (kind of like church). Just tip them $1. You can do less if you’re cheap…The AA meetings are also pretty cool. Don’t worry, you don’t have to stand in front of the crowd and state that you are an alcoholic.
Step 6: Community Service and Fines
- Fines: Pay Court fees up to $2,500. There are alot of hidden fees that you do not know about and will add up to aproximately $2,500 – $3,000 in fines.
- Community Service: Instead of paying the Court fines, you can request to do Community Service. You will have to show up at a Volunteer Center location (given to you by the court), where you pay some social worker $75 to process your application.
Tip: Try to not get “CAL TRANS”. That’s picking up trash from the
freeways! Just ask for what else is available, like folding clothes at a Goodwill Store. That’s what I did. It’s not too much work.
Step 7: Your License & Insurance
SR-22 Proof of Insurance. To file for the SR-22, you will need to show proof that you are enrolled in the DUI class. You will then be granted a temporary license to drive to work, to your DUI class, and to your AA meetings.
When all of the above are done, you should get your license back…Good luck.
If I was not given the pink paper stating my license was revoked yet when I was released, should I still contact the DMV right away? Should I file now for the SR22?
Were you given back your license? If you were not given a pink slip, and your license was also confiscated by the police department, then yes you should call DMV. Because if your license was taken away then you are not allowed to drive. The pink slip is only a temporary license to drive without your ID.
The officer should have also gave you instructions on what to do before you left the police department. If you don’t remember, you can always head back there and ask them. In my case, the officer was very clear to me that I had 10 days to call DMV to schedule an appointment. It would not hurt to also call DMV and ask what you have to do next, but ONLY IF your drivers license was taken away. If your drivers license was given back, then you are in the clear.
Another thing to do is to call a lawyer and ask him questions. I do not know your full story, so speaking to a lawyer and telling him your full story will help him understand what you should do next. Be smart on picking lawyers (if you do), and read the section where I talk about lawyers…
Regarding the SR-22…You can only file for this once you have enrolled into the 3 months alcohol education class. You won’t have to enroll into this class until your case has been decided by the court. For me, my lawyer went through the process and made a deal, to which the court issued my case as reckless driving, and had to attend the alcohol education class. After which, I then enrolled in the class, call my insurance, and they filed the SR-22 for me.
Remember, don’t procrastinate! Figure out your situation. Did you get your license back? If not, either go back to the police department for more info, call DMV, or a lawyer.
Hope that helps
I am currently on step 6. This is my first offense and my alcohol level was .10% I just noticed that the court circled CAL TRANS for me and they gave me this white paper that says CAL-TRANS TIME SHEET. I dont want to do CAL TRANS, can I still go back to court and tell them that I want community service? Let me know thanks.
Sorry for the slow reply, working on fixing some glitches in my email. Don’t think I could have helped you anyways, because whatever they issued you that day, you are stuck with it.
For others out there that are new, try being super nice, and dressing in a nice button shirt. It helps. Just like an interview, people judge others by the cover.
I got a dui about 6 years ago. I have been out of california for a while so i never went to the dmv and got my license. i completed all of the classes and cal trans. I called the dmv to see how much it will be to get my license back recently. They said only $100 dollars. And they never received proof from the dui classes that i completed the classes. I don’t remember where i took the classes. How do i find out? How do i get that information to the dmv?
You might have to think back in what city you took the DUI class at. Then google map search for DUI classes in that city and stop by each one (there should only be a few). They should be able to look up your info if you did take classes there. They will probably also charge you a fee for the info, but it might be worth it. I don’t think the DMV will know where you took your classes, since these DUI schools are privately held, and the DMV will not take time off to track down your classes.
The DUI school is obligated to send the info to the DMV once you have completed the classes and AA programs. I’m guessing that you did not completely finish, which includes fully completing the AA programs by turning in your AA timesheets, and discussion group classes during the DUI course. At the very end of the DUI course, you should have had a final meeting with one of your teachers which let you know if you passed or not. I remember that the classes were very strict, and if you missed a class, and did not pay/or make up the class, then you would have to repeat.
Sorry for the slow reply, but hope that helps.
im almost done with step 6. what do i do after step 6? which paperwork do i need to send to the court and what else do i have to do?
great job with this site! its very accurate and simple…i like to think of it as dui for dummies!
Congrats on everything so far. Here’s what you should remember:
1. If you did community service, make a final check with your supervisor where you did community service to make sure you completed all the hours. They will then submit the papers for you and you’re good to go. No papers to file or anything.
2. you will need to file a SR-22 for your car insurance each year for up to 3 years. Your insurance company should be able to file it for you, so give them a call. OR what I did was switch to a lower paying insurance company for awhile. Saves a lot of money, because your insurance will now go up. After 3 years you no longer have to file the SR-22, but ask your insurance company anyways to make sure.
3. So to get your license back, it’s just showing DMV that you have the SR-22 filed (tell your insurance company to fax it to dmv). Your insurance will not file the SR-22 unless you are enrolled in the DUI classes or completed it. Thats it, DMV should send you your license back (or issue you a temp while you are attending the DUI classes until they are complete).
You can also apply for a california ID card while DMV has your license. Incase you need an ID on you…I think they charge around $25 for an ID card from DMV. I forgot.
Good luck.