A DUI is two cases, not one
Before anything about price makes sense, you need to know this: a California DUI is two separate proceedings.
There's the criminal case in court. And there's the DMV case, which decides whether you keep your license. They run at the same time, on different deadlines, under different rules, and they're decided by different people. Winning one doesn't win the other.
You have 10 days from the date of your arrest to contact the DMV and request a hearing. Miss it and your license is suspended automatically, whatever happens in court.
This matters for cost because when you're comparing quotes, "how much for a DUI" is an incomplete question. The real question is whether the fee covers both cases. Ask it directly. It's one of the most common places people get surprised later.
How DUI fees are structured
Criminal defense generally runs on a flat fee retainer — a fixed price for a defined scope, not an hourly meter. For a DUI that scope is usually described by how far through the case it takes you.
Ask any attorney you speak to:
- Does this cover the DMV hearing as well as the criminal case?
- What stage does it take me through — arraignment, pre-trial, trial?
- What happens if it goes further than that, and what does that cost?
- Are court costs, fines, DMV fees or a DUI program included? (They usually aren't — those are separate from the attorney's fee, and you should know that going in.)
Get it in writing before you pay anything. From me or from anyone.
What moves the price on a DUI
Whether it's your first
A first offense and a third offense are not the same case with a bigger number attached. Priors change the exposure, the strategy, and the amount of work.
Whether anyone was hurt
A DUI causing injury is charged differently and carries different exposure. That's more work and it costs more.
Whether you refused the chemical test
Refusal cases carry added consequences and a different DMV posture. They usually take more work on the license side.
Whether it's charged as a felony
More appearances, more procedure, more at stake.
How far it's likely to run
Most DUI cases resolve without a trial. Some don't. A case with a genuinely contestable stop or a testing problem may be worth fighting further, and the fee reflects the realistic path rather than the best case.
Your license situation
Commercial drivers, drivers under 21, and out-of-state license holders each have complications the ordinary case doesn't.
Why the cheapest quote is sometimes the most expensive
A lower number usually means a narrower scope. If one quote covers the criminal case through arraignment and another covers the criminal case, the DMV hearing, and pre-trial, they aren't comparable — and the difference will surface later, at a worse moment.
The other thing worth checking is who actually appears. At some firms the person who signs you up isn't the person standing next to you in court. Ask directly.
And be careful with certainty. Nobody can tell you how your DUI ends before reading the report, seeing the testing records, and knowing which court you're in. An attorney who guarantees you a result is telling you something about how they practice.
What I charge
Flat fee for a defined scope, agreed in writing before you pay anything. I keep my overhead low and I've been doing this since 1999, which means I can usually tell early what a case is likely to involve rather than padding for the unknown.
For your number I need the charge, whether you have priors, which court it's in, whether you refused testing, and roughly what happened. That's a phone call and it costs nothing.
Call (916) 277-8299. Have your citation and the pink DMV form handy if you were given one — and remember the 10-day clock started on the date of the arrest, not today.
Common questions
Does the fee include the DMV hearing?
Ask specifically — of me or of anyone else. The DMV proceeding is separate from the criminal case, has its own 10-day deadline, and whether it's included is one of the most common sources of surprise.
Are court fines and fees part of the attorney's fee?
No. Court fines, DMV fees, and the cost of any required program are separate from what an attorney charges. Any quote you're given should make that clear.
Is a DUI worth fighting, or should I just plead?
That depends entirely on what the file shows — whether the stop was lawful, whether the testing was properly done, whether the reports hold together. Nobody can answer it responsibly before reading those. What I'd say is don't decide before someone has looked.
What if I've already missed the 10-day DMV deadline?
Call anyway. There may still be options depending on how much time has passed and the circumstances, and the criminal case is unaffected by the DMV deadline either way.
Do you offer payment plans for DUI cases?
Ask me on the call. What's workable depends on the case and the scope, and I'd rather give you a real answer than a general one.
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If this is your situation right now, the page that covers it in detail is Sacramento DUI attorney. Or call (916) 277-8299 and I will tell you what you are facing.