California DUI Class: Everything You Need to Know

If you are convicted of a DUI in California, the court will order you to complete a licensed DUI program, often called DUI school or DUI classes. You will also need to enroll in one before the DMV will give you a restricted license, and finish it before you can fully get your license back.

Here is the short version:

DUI school is a state licensed program that combines alcohol and drug education with counseling. It is run by private and county providers licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS).

A typical program includes:

• Education sessions on California DUI law and on how alcohol and drugs affect driving.
• Group counseling with other participants.
• One-on-one interviews with a counselor, which are required in the longer programs.

You must show up sober and take part. A program can drop you for attending under the influence, missing too many sessions, or not participating.

You will be ordered into a DUI program if you are convicted of, or plead guilty or no contest to:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (Vehicle Code § 23152(a))
• Driving with a BAC of 0.08% or higher (Vehicle Code § 23152(b))
• DUI causing injury (Vehicle Code § 23153)
• An underage DUI
• A wet reckless, which is a reckless driving conviction involving alcohol

It does not matter whether you were convicted at trial or took a plea. The program is a standard condition of DUI probation.

One Orange County detail that surprises people. A wet reckless normally comes with the short 12-hour program. In Orange County, though, prosecutors usually offer a wet reckless “with DUI terms,” which means the same three-month program a first DUI would carry. The real benefits of a wet reckless here are elsewhere: shorter probation, no court-ordered license suspension, and how the conviction reads to employers and insurers.

The law sets the minimum program length based mainly on your BAC, whether you refused a chemical test, and how many prior DUIs you have.

Under Vehicle Code § 23538, a first DUI carries:

• At least three months and 30 hours of program activities if your BAC was under 0.20%.
• At least nine months and 60 hours if your BAC was 0.20% or higher, or if you refused a chemical test.

Courts can order more than the minimum. Some judges order a six-month program for a BAC around 0.15% or higher, even though it is under 0.20%. In Orange County, whether a first offense ends with a three, six, or nine month program is often one of the things a defense attorney can affect.

A second DUI within 10 years of a prior DUI or wet reckless carries the 18-month multiple offender program. It includes 52 hours of group counseling, 12 hours of education, 6 hours of community reentry monitoring, and individual interviews every two weeks for the first year.

The 30-month program is an option for third and later offenses, but only in counties that choose to offer it. It adds 120 to 300 hours of community service. No licensed program in Orange County offers it, so third-time offenders here are ordered into the 18-month program.

Yes, and sometimes you should. There are two reasons:

1. Your license. The DMV requires proof that you have enrolled in a DUI program before it will issue a restricted license. See how long your license is suspended after a DUI.
2. Your criminal case. Enrolling early can be part of a mitigation package presented to the prosecutor before plea negotiations.

There is a catch. The program you need depends on the final outcome, including your BAC band and whether the charge is reduced. Activities completed before your arrest do not count. Talk to your attorney before you enroll, so you sign up for the right program.

You pay for the program yourself. Each licensed program sets its own fees, but the fees must be approved by DHCS, and programs may charge only the fees on the state’s approved list.

Here is what licensed Orange County programs charge for the full program, based on the state’s approved fee list as of November 2026:

“Typical” is the middle fee among licensed programs. Orange County programs generally cost less than the statewide average.

Programs can also charge approved extra fees, such as late payment, rescheduling a missed session, a leave of absence, or reinstatement after being dropped. Ask for the full fee schedule before you enroll. Not every location offers every program; several Orange County sites do not list a 3-month program, and only some offer the 18-month program.

Many people do not know this, and most programs do not advertise it. Under state rules, you can ask any licensed DUI program for a financial assessment of your ability to pay. Depending on the result, you may qualify for:

• a maximum fee of $5 per month,
• a reduced program fee, or
• an extended payment plan.

How it works:

• You can ask for the assessment before you enroll. A program cannot require you to sign up first.
• The program must complete the assessment within five days of your request.
• You can ask again every 30 days if your finances change, for example after a job loss.
• If you think the assessment was handled wrong, you can ask DHCS to review it. DHCS handles these questions at (916) 322-2964 or DUIProviders@dhcs.ca.gov.

DUI programs are run by private and county providers that hold a DHCS license. Only a licensed program counts toward your court order and the DMV’s requirements.

DHCS publishes the list of licensed programs and their approved fees on its DUI program fees page. Most people choose a program close to home or work, because attendance is weekly for months. If you live in one county and your case is in another, you can usually attend a licensed program where you live. Confirm that with your attorney or the court.

Not as a self-paced online course. DHCS states that DUI classes offered over the internet do not meet California’s DUI program requirements. A website that lets you click through videos on your own schedule will not satisfy a court order.

What is allowed is live video sessions with a licensed program. Since 2024, DHCS has let licensed programs offer some education and counseling sessions by real-time video, under strict rules:

• The program must have a physical location and must also offer every service in person.
• You must attend from a private setting with your camera on. Virtual and blurred backgrounds are not allowed.
• You sign a separate agreement before your first virtual session.
• There is no grace period for being late because of connection problems.

Not every program offers virtual sessions. Ask before you enroll.

Missing sessions or dropping out has consequences on both sides of your case:

• Probation violation. Completing the program is a condition of probation. The program reports noncompliance to the court, and a judge can reinstate penalties, including jail.
• Bench warrant. If you miss a court date set because of the violation, the court can issue a warrant for your arrest.
• Your license. The DMV will not reinstate your license until it receives proof that you completed the program. If you are driving on a restricted license, failing to stay in the program can cost you that license.

Programs have their own attendance rules. If you are going to miss a session, call the program before you miss it, not after.

Do I have to take DUI classes for a wet reckless?

Yes. A wet reckless carries at least the 12-hour program. In Orange County, a wet reckless is often negotiated with the three-month first offender program instead.

Do I need DUI classes to get a restricted license?

Yes. The DMV requires proof of enrollment in a licensed DUI program before it issues a restricted license after a DUI.

Can I take DUI classes in a different county?

Usually, yes, as long as the program is licensed by DHCS. Check with your attorney or the court first.

Is there a fee waiver for DUI classes in California?

There is no blanket waiver, but there is a financial assessment. Based on your income, you may qualify for a fee as low as $5 a month, a reduced fee, or a payment plan. You can request the assessment from any licensed program before enrolling.

Will DUI classes from an earlier case count?

No. Program activities completed before your current arrest do not count toward a new court order.

How long is DUI school for a first offense?

Usually three months. It is nine months if your BAC was 0.20% or higher or you refused a chemical test, and a court can order a six-month program for a high BAC below 0.20%.