DUI Penalties in San Diego County

Our San Diego DUI defense lawyers go up against the D.A. to get your California drunk driving charges lessened or dropped while fighting for you to keep your driver’s license. Through investigation, litigation, and negotiation, we craft the most effective defense available for your case.

San Diego DUI penalties at-a-glance

DUI crime	San Diego sentence
1st DUI in 10 years	3 years summary probation 48 hours to 6 months in jail $390 to $1,000 plus penalties & costs 3-month or 9-month DUI school MADD class ignition interlock device (IID) for 6 months
2nd DUI in 10 years	3 – 5 years summary probation 96 hours to 1 year in jail $390 to $1,000 plus penalties & costs 18-month or 30-month DUI school IID for 1 year
3rd DUI in 10 years	3 to 5 years summary probation 120 days to 1 year in jail $390 to $1,000 plus penalties & costs 30-month DUI school IID for 2 years

San Diego DUI penalties in depth

First-time DUIs, second-time DUIs, and third-time DUIs in a 10-year period are prosecuted as misdemeanors.

1st time DUI in San Diego

• Summary probation for three years
• Fines of $390 to $1,000 plus court costs and penalties (which can amount to $2,000 or more)
• A county jail sentence of forty-eight hours to six months
• If your BAC was lower than .2%, a three-month drug/alcohol program (thirty hours); otherwise, a nine-month drug/alcohol program (sixty hours)
• A one-day MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) victim impact panel
• A driver’s license suspension for six months, but you continue driving with an ignition interlock device (the suspension period is one year if there was an injury)

2nd time DUI in San Diego

• Summary probation for three to five years
• Fines of $390 to $1,000 plus court costs and penalties (which can amount to $2,000 or more)
• A county jail sentence of ninety-six hours to one year
• An eighteen-month or thirty-month drug/alcohol program
• A driver’s license suspension for one year, but you can continue driving with an ignition interlock device (the suspension period is two years if there was an injury)

3rd time DUI in San Diego

• Summary probation for three to five years
• Fines of $390 to $1,000 plus court costs and penalties (which can amount to $3,000 or more)
• A county jail sentence of one hundred twenty days to one year
• A thirty-month drug/alcohol program
• A driver’s license suspension for two years, but you can continue driving with an ignition interlock device (the suspension period is three years if there is an injury)

Also read about felony DUI penalties in California, which include fourth-time DUI, DUI causing injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

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