An alcohol-related driving conviction can result in anywhere from 12 hours to 30 months of DUI classes.
If you’re like many adults, school is a thing of the past — but that can change rather quickly if you are convicted of a DUI. That is because California law provides very heavy penalties for DUI convictions, including fines, a license suspension, probation, possible jail time, and mandatory DUI school.
California has four distinct DUI school programs that are geared towards different types of offenders. The first is for people convicted for wet reckless offenses, which is essentially reckless driving where alcohol is involved. This charge is typically a result of a plea bargain, where a DUI lawyer in Riverside, CA is able to negotiate a DUI charge down to a “wet reckless.” Doing so has many advantages, including a much shorter time spent in DUI school — just 12 hours.
If you are unable to have your DUI charge reduced to a wet reckless and are convicted as a first offender, then you will be required to enroll in the first offender program. The length of the program will depend on your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time that you were arrested; the higher your BAC was, the more hours that you will spend at DUI school. First offender programs can be either 30, 44 or 60 hours.
If you have a second or greater DUI offense, then you will be required to spend a far greater time in DUI school. This program lasts for eighteen months. It includes 52 hours of group counseling, 12 hours of drug and alcohol education, biweekly individual interviews, and 6 hours of community reentry monitoring. Each county may require additional hours for this program.
If you have a third or greater DUI offense, then a judge will likely sentence you to complete the multiple offender program. This is a 30 month course that includes 12 hours of alcohol and drug education, 78 hours of group counseling, individual interviews, and up to 300 hours of community service. As with the 18 month program, the county may require additional hours to complete the 30 month multiple offender program.
Importantly, complying with the required DUI school sentence is mandatory — and it is the only way that you can complete your DUI probation and get your driver’s license back. The programs are designed to help people consider their relationship with alcohol or drugs, and to make better choices in their lives. Even if you believe that you do not have a drug or alcohol problem, and that your DUI conviction was a one-time event, you will be required to actively participate in this program.
In addition to having to physically go to DUI school, anyone sentenced to these programs will also be required to pay for them as well. The costs vary from approximately $270 for the wet reckless 12 hour course to $3,000 for the 30 month program. Sliding scale fees and fee waivers are available for those who cannot afford these costs.
If you have been charged with a DUI, being sentenced to DUI classes is just one of the many potential consequences of a conviction. Hiring a skilled DUI lawyer in Riverside, CA is one way to possibly avoid these penalties, but putting together the best defense to the charges. Contact the Chambers Law Firm today at 714-760-4088 or dchambers@clfca.com to schedule a free initial consultation and learn how we can help you if you have been charged with a DUI!
