California DUI Drivers License Suspension Calculator

**We only accept cases in the Coachella Valley, Banning, Blythe, and Joshua Tree areas. If you have a DUI in another part of the state contact a local DUI defense attorney for specific advice.**

Resources to Help Get Back Your California Drivers License

  • Do these things to get your restricted license:

    • EITHER wait out 30 days of no driving; OR get an Ignition Interlock installed for immediate restricted license eligibility. An ignition interlock device (IID) is a breathalyzer installed in a vehicle to prevent it from starting if the driver has been drinking.

    • SR-22: an SR-22 is a certificate of financial responsibility required for high-risk drivers by the California DMV. It is not an actual insurance policy but a document an insurance company files with the state to verify that you carry the minimum required auto liability insurance.

    • DUI Class enrollment: Standard 1st time DUI (0.08-0.15 BAC) will require enrollment in the AB541 DUI class prior to getting a restricted license. The AB541 program is 3 months long and requires a minimum of 30 hours of education and counseling.

    • Go to DMV and pay reinstatement fee.

  • Under age 21 DUIs may qualify for a “critical needs” restricted license, and only after 30 days of no driving. Note that the DMV rarely grants these and you should be extremely careful and thorough in your request.

    You will need to file a DS 694 form with the DMV. Click here to download the form in PDF.

  • California and most other states are part of the Driver License Compact (DLC), an agreement among most U.S. states to share information about traffic violations, license suspensions, and DUI/DWI offenses committed by drivers outside their home state.

    If you are a driver from another state and got a California DUI, the California DMV will place a hold on your license with your home state. Sometimes the home state does not catch the California hold, but don’t count on that. Usually it works like it is supposed to.

    California will release the hold only after the relevant suspension period has passed. After that, you may need to file a DL 4006 to have the DMV release the hold. Click here to download the form.