How much does a DUI cost me in California? A breakdown

Between fines, court costs, DUI school, DMV fees, increased car insurance premiums, and attorney fees (if you hire a private attorney), a DUI in California can run you from $8000.00 to $25,000.00 out of pocket. However, the net cost will likely be much lower if you successfully fight the charge and avoid a conviction.

In general, the costs for a first-time DUI breakdown are as follows:

The total cost of the above expenses is between $8,615 and $24,565.¹

This amount can increase if your DUI:

• results in lost earnings, and/or
• requires you to incur transportation costs.

Note that the above costs are for a first-offense DUI. The costs will increase for a second DUI or subsequent DUI.

1. Attorney Fees

The above table lists attorney fees at a dollar amount between $3,000 and $15,000.

This amount varies so much because the complexity of your case directly impacts the total amount of your attorney fees. Simple cases will result in lower attorney fees when compared to more complicated ones.

Consider, for example, a simple first-time DUI where you were arrested for driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08%. You did not commit an accident in the case and were arrested after driving erratically. You agree to plead guilty to the offense as part of a plea bargain.

Here, your legal fees would be on the low side of the dollar range. This is because your case is relatively straightforward, and your attorney could help resolve the case with relatively little work. “Little work” means there are fewer billable hours that you would have to pay for.

In contrast, consider the scenario where you were arrested for drunk driving and deny the charges with great feeling. You believe the police stopped you without probable cause and field sobriety test results do not clearly show that you were under the influence.

Here, your attorney would have to put in much work to help you challenge the DUI charge. Your lawyer would likely have to prepare for trial by filing several pre-trial motions, working with field sobriety test experts, and interviewing witnesses. Your attorney would then have to try the case.

These acts would take much time and generate a high level of billable hours. This high level would result in attorney fees on the higher side of the range given.

Costs would increase even more if your DUI resulted in an accident, injury, or even death.

2. Car Insurance Premiums

Several factors can affect how much your insurance rates would increase following a DUI. Some of these factors include:

• the state in which you received your DUI,
• your policy,
• the number of points that you have on your driving record,
• whether you have any prior DUI convictions,
• whether anyone was injured in your case, and
• your accident history.

If you plead guilty to a first-time DUI and have an otherwise clean driving/arrest record, your rates would likely increase in the area of between $3,000 to $4,000.

But your rates would increase even more if:

• you were arrested with other DUI convictions on your record,
• you were arrested in a state that is known for high-rate increases, and
• your license was suspended in the past for being a negligent operator.

3. DUI School

You usually have to complete some type of DUI school if convicted of drunk driving in California.

Note that the school can range in terms of its length (for example, from a 12-hour program to a 30-month program). The length of a program will increase depending on the severity of your case.

You will incur more expenses for DUI school as the length of your program increases.

Note that California does provide fee waivers or reductions if you cannot afford to attend a school.²

4. Other Penalties

In addition to the above costs, you could receive other DUI penalties in California. Other possible penalties include:

• 3 to 5 years of summary probation (typically 3 years),³
• 6-month driver’s license suspension,⁴
• 48 hours to 6 months of county jail time (courts usually order no jail if they grant probation),⁵
• work release (depending on the county), and
• attending a victim impact panel.

5. Legal Representation

Yes. You should consult with a criminal defense attorney or DUI defense lawyer if you were arrested in California for drunk driving.

A DUI defense attorney can help by:

• making arrangements to help you post bail (if applicable in your DUI case),
• requesting a DMV hearing on your behalf,
• representing you at a DMV hearing,
• attending court appearances on your behalf, and
• negotiating with a prosecutor to reach a plea agreement.

Defense lawyers can also help you contest a DUI charge with a legal defense. For example, a DUI lawyer can help you show that:

• a police officer stopped you for DUI without probable cause, or
• you were not “under the influence” of alcohol.

In our experiences in handling DUI cases, people arrested for DUI receive more favorable outcomes in their cases with a skilled DUI attorney on their side.

Additional Resources

If you are struggling with alcoholism or substance abuse addiction, you can find help here:

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – A 12-step program to overcome alcoholism.
• Narcotics Anonymous (NA) – A 12-step program to overcome drug addiction.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) – 24/7 treatment referral service.
• Recovery Centers of America – Treatment centers in seven states.
• SMART Recovery – Group therapy for young people struggling with addiction.
• Partnership to End Addiction – Information on how to find drug addiction treatment.