Were you convicted of driving under the influence, or DUI, in California? Well, the state requires you to attend driving school. The driving school, commonly called an alcohol rehabilitation course, is for anyone convicted of being under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination while driving, but more specifically if:

There are aggravating circumstances like having a passenger under 14 years old in the car at the time of the DUI stop.

Prior DUI convictions you have.

Your blood alcohol content, or BAC, level at the time of your DUI stop. Typically, if it is higher than the 0.08 percent.

Course Enrollment

You are typically ordered to enroll in DUI driving school within 21 days from your sentence. There is a possibility you can face more penalties if you do not enroll within that time period.

What You Need to Know

You have been sentenced to DUI driving school, now what? Well, here is what you need to know about a California DUI driving course:

  • California requires you to attend only DUI driving courses approved by the state. In other words, you can attend a non-state approved course, but it will not count towards completing your sentence.
  • DUI courses do not let just anyone enroll. You actually have to show court documents proving that you have to take the course. Of course, if you cannot find the documents, many schools will accept your suspension notice. You receive the notice from the California’s Department of Motor Vehicles, or DMV.
  • No DUI driving school is the same. California provides various licenses depending on the situation. For example, you do not want to enroll in a DUI school for third time DUI offenders if this is your first conviction. Therefore, you must do your homework.
  • The court expects you to pay for the DUI driving school. The cost is about $200. However, it may be higher because of the length of the course. In some situations where you cannot pay, the school may offer a payment plan to help with the cost.
  • Successful completion of your DUI driving school course is a part of your probation. It is part of the sentence imposed on you. Whether you completed the other terms of your probation does not matter. If you do not complete DUI school, you did not successfully complete probation. Violating probation means that you have a good chance of doing jail time.
  • The court and DMV expect you to successfully complete the DUI driving course. If you do not complete the course to the satisfaction of the court, then your driver’s license will be revoked. Driving privilege revocation is done by the DMV. Nevertheless, the court can decide that you have violated your probation by not completing the course.

Yes, attending a DUI driving school program is embarrassing. Besides the embarrassment, it is expensive and takes a lot of time away from things you need to do like work. Any time you face jail time, DUI school or probation for DUI, contact the Law Offices of Jonathan Franklin. Schedule a free consultation with Jonathan Franklin to learn more about your possible DUI defenses and how he can resolve your case.