1st DUI Conviction in California, Penalties & Legal Defense

A conviction for a 1st DUI happens in one of two ways: 1) entering a plea of guilty or no contest; or 2) being found guilty in a trial.

After being found guilty in either a trial or by a plea, the next phase is to find out whether you will get probation. In most cases, probation will be granted. A sentence without probation is much more steep and severe.

Sentencing for 1st Time DUI in California: Probation Granted

A conviction for a 1st DUI in California where probation is granted will generally result in these penalties:

3 to 5 years of informal probation, commonly referred to as “summary probation”

This is not formal probation; you will not have a probation officer to check in with

3 months, 6 months, or 9-month alcohol program/ DUI school

This is mandatory; there is no way around this requirement

Around $2,000 in fines

The fine is $390, but the court adds penalty assessments which brings up the fine to around $2,000

Driver’s license suspension of 6 months, with a chance to get a restricted license after 30 days

The restricted license is good for going to work, school, DUI class, etc.
Note: if your BAC was over .20 %, your driver’s license is suspended 10 months

Additional Penalties for a First-Time DUI Offense in California

Some additional penalties for a first-time DUI in California where probation is granted can include:

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (“MADD”) Victim Impact Panel
Hospital and Morgue (“HAM”) Program
Community labor or community service
Jail term of 48 hours to 6 months

Now let’s review the differences when probation is not granted in 1st DUIs in California.

Sentencing For 1st Time DUI In California: Probation Not Granted

A conviction for a 1st DUI in California where probation is not granted will generally result in these penalties:

96 hours to 6 months in jail

In some cases, the court will allow the jail time to be served in private city jails on weekends, in order to avoid losing employment

3 to 5 years of informal probation, commonly referred to as “summary probation”

This is not formal probation; you will not have a probation officer to check in with

3 months, 6 months, or 9-month alcohol program/ DUI school

This is mandatory; there is no way around this requirement

Around $2,000 in fines

The fine is $390, but the court adds penalty assessments which brings up the fine to around $2,000

Driver’s license suspension of 6 months, with a chance to get a restricted license after 30 days

The restricted license is good for going to work, school, DUI class, etc.

Note: if your BAC was over .20 %, your driver’s license is suspended 10 months

Some additional penalties for a first-time DUI in California where probation is granted can include:

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (“MADD”) Victim Impact Panel
Hospital and Morgue (“HAM”) Program
Community labor or community service
Jail term of 48 hours to 6 months

FIRST DUI CONVICTION IN CALIFORNIA WHAT HAPPENS

Additional Penalties for a First-Time DUI Offense in California

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Sentencing For 1st Time DUI In California: Probation Not Granted