CA DUI Restricted License Guide: Rules & Eligibility

DMV restricted license DUI rules are complicated.  This page has some of the more commonly asked questions for people facing a DUI.

Do you lose your license with a DUI?

Maybe.  The answer depends on what you do right after the arrest.  If you have a California license, your physical license is usually taken from you during a DUI arrest. In exchange, you get a pink temporary 30 day license. That temporary license is still a full license, but causes an automatic suspension if you do nothing.

That date also starts a clock ticking – you only have ten days to request a DMV hearing, or you get the automatic suspension.  If you hire a DUI attorney in Orange County to handle your DUI for you, your DUI Lawyer will contact the DMV within 10 days.  From there, if you win the hearing, and you win the court case (that is, you avoid a DUI conviction), your license would not be suspended.  If you do not win either, you will suffer a suspension of your driving privileges.

How do I get my license back after a DUI?

If your DUI attorney wins the case, you can get a duplicate license sent to you.

If you lose the case, you will need to take the steps to get a restricted license, and reinstate your driving privileges under the DUI Restricted License CA rules.  That involves the procedures described on our website, but for first time DUI cases, that requires you attend and complete an alcohol school, pay a $125 fee, and show an SR22 proof of insurance.

Can you get a restricted license after a DUI?

Yes, if you take the steps to get a restricted license, and reinstate your driving privileges.  That involves the procedures described on our website, but for first time DUI cases, that requires you attend and complete an alcohol school, pay a $125 fee, and show an SR22 proof of insurance.

Can I get a restricted driving permit if I have a DUI in California?

Yes.  But you need to do three things, if you are a first time offender:

1. Pay a $125 fee to the DMV;
2. Show proof of insurance SR-22 to the DMV; and
3. Enroll in a first time offender alcohol school.

How long does a CA restricted license last?

A restricted license in California from a DUI is for three months, the same as the length of the basic alcohol school.  Your full license won’t be reinstated until you finish the school, however.

How long does your license get suspended for a DUI?

Your license is suspended for four months by the DMV, and five months from a court conviction for DUI.  Those are concurrent, so they overlap each other at the same time.

How much is a Restricted License in CA for a DUI?

The DMV charges a $125 fee to get a restricted license for a DUI.  To get your license reinstated if you have a DUI conviction, if you do not have your DUI case dismissed, or reduced to a lower charge than a DUI, you would have to pay another $55 fee after a court conviction for DUI.

Do you need a DMV admin per se hearing to get a DUI Restricted License CA to go to and from work?

No.  A request for a restricted license cannot be considered at the DMV hearing. You may apply for a restricted license only after your license has actually been suspended for the mandatory period by law.  If you want to avoid any suspension, you must request a DMV hearing.  Since the win rate is very low for DMV hearings from a DUI, it is highly recommended that you get a top Orange County DUI lawyer familiar with the DMV to help. A restricted driver’s license allows to drive to and from work, during the work day under the course and scope of your employment, and to and from an alcohol school.

A DUI Restricted License CA is applied for at a DMV branch office, not at the Office of Driver Safety location, which is where license hearings are held.

How can a Orange County DUI Lawyer help you with restricted license issues?

Contact us today.  We have handled thousands of DUI cases, in over 23 years of practice as DUI Attorneys in Orange County, limited to handling only Orange County DUI cases.  We can help you with your Orange County DUI case and your questions about a DUI Restricted License CA.