How much does a DUI cost in California?

By the DUI Cost Guide Editorial Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

A first DUI in California carries a statutory fine of $390–$1,000. This guide stacks every cost layer an official California source prices — the fine, court costs, the license reinstatement fee, the DUI program, ignition interlock, and the SR-22 insurance filing — and says plainly which layers no official source prices at all.

California DUI costs at a glance	Figure
Statutory fine — first DUI	California's Vehicle Code (Sec. 23536) sets the first-offense DUI fine at $390 to $1,000. Courts add penalty assessments and local fees on top of the base fine, which vary by county and typically make the total owed considerably higher than the base fine alone.
Statutory fine — second DUI	The statute separates a second offense: $390–$1,000. Second offenses also carry longer suspensions and program requirements — see the sections below.
Court costs & fees	There is no single statewide court-cost figure in California: each county court adds its own fees and state penalty assessments to the base fine. The DMV's published fees cover license actions only, not court costs.
License suspension — first offense	On a first conviction the DMV suspends the license for six months under Vehicle Code Sec. 13352, separate from the Administrative Per Se suspension that follows an arrest. Restricted driving is available through an ignition-interlock restricted license or an employment-and-program restricted license.
License reinstatement fee	The DMV publishes separate reissue charges rather than one DUI total: a $55 reissue fee, a $125 Admin Per Se reissue fee where the arrest suspension applies, and a $15 DMV admin fee. Which of these apply depends on whether both the court conviction and the administrative action are on the record.
Ignition interlock	Conditional — restricted license / court order — An IID is not mandatory for a first-time, non-injury DUI in California: the court may order one for up to six months, and a first offender may instead choose an IID-restricted license for up to six months or a one-year restriction limited to driving for work and the DUI program. Repeat and injury offenders face mandatory IID terms of one to four years, and device costs are paid to certified installers.
DUI education / treatment program	First offenders must enroll in and complete a DUI program licensed by the Department of Health Care Services - proof of enrollment (Form DL 107) is needed for a restricted license and proof of completion for full reinstatement. Program fees are set by the licensed providers and are not published as a statewide figure by the DMV.
SR-22 insurance filing	A California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22) is required to obtain a restricted license and to reinstate after a DUI suspension. The insurer files the SR 22 with the DMV; the state charges no separate SR-22 filing fee, and a DUI will raise the driver's insurance premiums.

The fine

California's Vehicle Code (Sec. 23536) sets the first-offense DUI fine at $390 to $1,000. Courts add penalty assessments and local fees on top of the base fine, which vary by county and typically make the total owed considerably higher than the base fine alone.

Court costs & fees

There is no single statewide court-cost figure in California: each county court adds its own fees and state penalty assessments to the base fine. The DMV's published fees cover license actions only, not court costs.

License suspension & reinstatement

On a first conviction the DMV suspends the license for six months under Vehicle Code Sec. 13352, separate from the Administrative Per Se suspension that follows an arrest. Restricted driving is available through an ignition-interlock restricted license or an employment-and-program restricted license.

The DMV publishes separate reissue charges rather than one DUI total: a $55 reissue fee, a $125 Admin Per Se reissue fee where the arrest suspension applies, and a $15 DMV admin fee. Which of these apply depends on whether both the court conviction and the administrative action are on the record.

The national picture — which states charge the most to reinstate — is in our license reinstatement guide.

Ignition interlock

An IID is not mandatory for a first-time, non-injury DUI in California: the court may order one for up to six months, and a first offender may instead choose an IID-restricted license for up to six months or a one-year restriction limited to driving for work and the DUI program. Repeat and injury offenders face mandatory IID terms of one to four years, and device costs are paid to certified installers.

How interlock pricing works (installation, monthly lease, calibration, removal) is in our ignition interlock cost guide.

DUI education & treatment program

First offenders must enroll in and complete a DUI program licensed by the Department of Health Care Services - proof of enrollment (Form DL 107) is needed for a restricted license and proof of completion for full reinstatement. Program fees are set by the licensed providers and are not published as a statewide figure by the DMV.

SR-22 & insurance

A California Insurance Proof Certificate (SR 22) is required to obtain a restricted license and to reinstate after a DUI suspension. The insurer files the SR 22 with the DMV; the state charges no separate SR-22 filing fee, and a DUI will raise the driver's insurance premiums.

What an SR-22 is, which states charge a filing fee, and how long it must be carried: SR-22 cost guide.

Towing, impound & other charges

Low-income participants in California's IID pilot program pay a reduced share of IID program costs - from 10 percent of costs at or below the federal poverty level up to 90 percent at 301-400 percent of the poverty level. Towing and impound charges are set locally and are not published by the DMV.

Worked total: the verified charges stacked

Item	Cost
Statutory fine	$390–$1,000
Total of the verified state-set charges above	$390–$1,000

That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official California source prices statewide — court costs where they are set county by county, interlock lease payments to a private vendor, towing and storage, and the insurance increase that follows an SR-22. Add your own figures for those in the cost calculator.

Sources: California Legislative Information - Vehicle Code Sec. 23536 · California Legislative Information - Vehicle Code Sec. 23540 · California DMV - Reissue Fees · California DMV - Statewide Ignition Interlock Device Pilot Program. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.

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