Deadlines after a DUI arrest in San Francisco are tight. We spring into action immediately, requesting your DMV hearing and carefully examining the details of your arrest.
In addition to immediate action, you can count on:
Senior Trial Attorneys
You’ll work directly with an experienced DUI lawyer who knows San Francisco Superior Court, local judges, prosecutors, and procedural nuances.
Low Caseloads
We take fewer cases so we can examine every detail: SFPD body cam footage, police reports, breath/blood testing, chain of custody, and DMV documents.
Bay Area-Wide Coverage
We defend DUI cases not only in San Francisco but also throughout the Bay Area, frequently appearing in:
- Thomas J. Cahill Hall of Justice (850 Bryant St, San Francisco) — Primary courthouse for SF criminal DUIs
- Civic Center Courthouse (400 McAllister St, San Francisco) — Criminal and traffic matters
- Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse (Oakland)
- René C. Davidson Courthouse (Oakland)
- Hayward Hall of Justice
- San Mateo County Courthouse (Redwood City)
- Marin County Civic Center (San Rafael)
- Contra Costa County Superior Courts (Martinez, Walnut Creek, Richmond, Pittsburg)
We know the judges, the prosecutors, the local procedures—and how to use them to your advantage.
Clear Communication
We take pride in our 5-star Google Rating, our A+ Better Business Bureau rating, and our exceptional customer service. We return calls and texts on the same business day, and we charge a single, fixed price to provide clients with cost certainty, eliminate unexpected fees, and allow our attorneys to focus fully on strategy, transparency, and delivering the best possible support.
DMV APS Process in San Francisco
California’s DMV Admin Per Se (APS) system allows the Department of Motor Vehicles to automatically suspend your driver’s license following a DUI arrest, even before your first court appearance. Therefore, it is crucial to begin protecting your driving privileges immediately.
Your 10-Day Deadline
You must request a DMV hearing within 10 days of your arrest. Miss the deadline, and your license is automatically suspended.
What the DMV Reviews
The DMV hearing officer evaluates:
- Lawfulness of the stop
- Lawfulness of the arrest
- Whether your BAC was ≥0.08
- Whether you refused a test
How We Win APS Hearings
We often overturn suspensions by showing:
- Faulty or uncalibrated breath machines
- Blood contamination
- Rising BAC
- Chain-of-custody failures
- Missing or contradictory police documentation
APS Suspension Lengths
San Francisco DUI Penalties
First DUI
- Up to 6 months in jail
- $390–$1,000 fines (often $1,800–$3,000 after assessments)
- 3–5 years probation
- 3–9 months DUI school
- 6-month suspension or IID
Second DUI
- 96 hours–1 year jail
- 18–30 months DUI school
- 2-year suspension
- 1-year IID
Third DUI
- 120 days–1 year jail
- 30-month DUI school
- 3-year suspension
- Habitual Traffic Offender status
Felony DUI
- 16 months–3 years in state prison
- 4-year license revocation
- Higher fines and injury enhancements
How We Beat DUI Charges in San Francisco
We challenge every weakness in the prosecution’s case:
- Illegal SFPD/CHP traffic stops
- Subjective field sobriety tests
- Calibration or maintenance failures in breath machines
- Contaminated or improperly stored blood samples
- Chain-of-custody errors
- Rising BAC
- Violations of the 15-minute observation period
- Missing or contradictory police reports
These issues frequently lead to dismissals, reductions, and DMV victories.
DUI Cases We Handle in San Francisco & the Bay Area
- First-time DUI
- Repeat DUI
- High BAC (0.15%+)
- DUI with accident or injury
- Felony DUI
- THC & drug DUI
- Under-21 DUI
- Refusals
- Commercial driver DUI
- DUI hit-and-run
- Probation violations
If it involves DUI in the Bay Area, we handle it.
California DUI Statistics: Why Bay Area Drivers Need Serious Defense
According to reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), California is seeing an uptick in DUI arrests and alcohol-related deaths:
- 125,000+ DUI arrests statewide in 2023
- 68.9% conviction rate for DUI defendants
- 1,159 alcohol-impaired deaths in 2020 (+20% from 2019)
- 13,599 total traffic deaths in 2021 (+16%)
- Median BAC: 0.16% among convicted drivers
- 21% of fatal-crash drivers in 2022 had confirmed BAC
The Bay Area—especially San Francisco, Oakland, Marin, San Mateo, and Contra Costa—continues to enforce DUI laws aggressively. Local legal knowledge is essential.
Sources: Michael & Associates research; nhtsa.gov. California DMV, DUI Management Information System (MIS) Reports; California DMV, Admin Per Se (APS) Program; California Vehicle Code §§23152–23153; California Penal Code §1203.4; San Francisco Superior Court; Alameda, San Mateo, Marin, and Contra Costa County Superior Courts
