San Diego County, CA DUI: courts, hearing, occupational license & reinstatement (2026)
Where a DUI case in San Diego County is heard, where and by when the administrative hearing is requested, where an occupational or hardship license is filed for, and where the license is reinstated. Every item below is cited to the county clerk, the court's own site, the state agency or the statute; the state rules that apply are California's and are quoted from the California record.
The short answers for this county
Where to request the administrative hearing
California DMV Driver Safety: hearings are scheduled through the DMV's online driver safety case management system; the office that takes visits and mail is the El Segundo Driver Safety Office, 390 N. Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 2075, El Segundo, CA 90245 (Source: dmv.ca.gov)
By when: 10 days from the notice (Source: dmv.ca.gov)
Which court handles the case
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — Central Courthouse (criminal: felonies, misdemeanors, Substance Abuse Assessment Unit) · DUI misdemeanor, DUI felony1100 Union Street, San Diego, CA 92101sdcourt.ca.gov · Source: sdcourt.ca.gov
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — North County Regional Center (criminal) · DUI misdemeanor, DUI felony325 South Melrose Drive, Vista, CA 92081sdcourt.ca.gov · Source: sdcourt.ca.gov
State rules that apply here: California
The interlock, cost and restricted-license rules are set by California law and the California licensing agency, not by the county. They are rendered here from the California record and cited there.
The short answers
Do I need an interlock?
- First offense
- At the court's discretion
- Minimum period
- Court-ordered
What the source says (3)
- First offense
“(A) Upon a conviction with no priors, punishable under Section 23536, only one of the following may occur: (i) The court may order installation of a functioning, certified ignition interlock device on any vehicle that the person operates”
- Minimum period
“If the court orders the ignition interlock device restriction, the term shall be determined by the court for a period not to exceed six months from the date of conviction.”
- firstOffenseIid_alt
“(ii) The person may apply to the department for a restriction of the driving privilege under Section 13352.4. (iii) The person may apply to the department for a restriction of the driving privilege under paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 13352 or subdivision (c) of Section 13352.1.”
What it costs here
- State reinstatement fee
- $125
- Restricted-license fee
- $125
- Reduced-cost rule
- Income-based IID fee schedule
- Interlock lease, national range
- $50–$150 per month
What the source says (3)
- State reinstatement fee
“there shall be paid to the department a fee in an amount of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) to pay the costs of the administration of the administrative suspension and revocation programs for persons who refuse or fail to complete chemical testing, as provided in Section 13353”
- Restricted-license fee
“To apply for this restricted license: • Visit a DMV offce (appointment recommended) • Provide proof of enrollment in a DUI program • Provide proof of insurance (SR 22) • Provide proof of IID installation (DL 920) • Pay a $125 APS fee”
- Reduced-cost rule
“A person with an income at 100 percent of the federal poverty level or below and who provides income verification pursuant to paragraph (2) is responsible for 10 percent of the cost of the manufacturer’s standard ignition interlock device program costs”
How to drive legally now
- Restricted license
- Available in some first-offense cases · Restricted license – Ignition Interlock Dev…
- Waiting period
- No waiting period
- Hearing-request deadline
- 10 days from the notice
- Driving after a DUI in California: the restricted license
- How to get a license back in California
- Date the hearing deadline with the timeline calculator
What the source says (2)
- Restricted license
“You may apply for a restricted license immediately with the installation of an IID. With this restriction, you may drive at any time to any place, so long as the vehicle is equipped with an IID. You will have this restriction for up to 4 months.”
- Hearing-request deadline
“You have the right to request a hearing from the DMV within 10 days of receipt of the suspension or revocation order. If the review shows there is no basis for the suspension or revocation, the action will be set aside.”
Approved providers are approved statewide by the California agency; the list below is the state list. Installation locations are on each provider's own locator.
Approved interlock providers
Vendors listed here appear on the California licensing agency's approved-device list. Listing order is alphabetical and is not a ranking or endorsement. Installation locations are on each vendor's own locator.
Where to get it installed — the official approved-installer list: Agency approved-vendor list
| Vendor | Website | Location finder |
|---|---|---|
| A&A Product Companylisted by the agency as “A&A Interlock, LLC” | A&A Product Company website | Find a location |
| Alcohol Detection Systemslisted by the agency as “Alcohol Detection Systems, Inc.” | Alcohol Detection Systems website | Find a location |
| ALCOLOCK | ALCOLOCK website | Find a location |
| B.E.S.T. Labs, Inclisted by the agency as “Best Labs, Inc.” | B.E.S.T. Labs, Inc website | Find a location |
| Guardian Interlock | Guardian Interlock website | Find a location |
| Intoxalock | Intoxalock website | Find a location |
| LifeSafer | LifeSafer website | Find a location |
| Low Cost Interlocklisted by the agency as “Low Cost Interlock, Inc.” | Low Cost Interlock website | Find a location |
| RoadGuard Interlock | RoadGuard Interlock website | Find a location |
| Simple Interlocklisted by the agency as “A Simple Interlock, LLC” | Simple Interlock website | Find a location |
| Smart Start | Smart Start website | Find a location |
Other devices on the agency list (2)
These names also appear on the California agency list. Their makers publish no website this site has confirmed, so the agency list is the only link.
- Autosense International, Inc
- Clear2Drive
Sources
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — Central Courthouse (criminal: felonies, misdemeanors, Substance Abuse Assessment Unit) (sdcourt.ca.gov)
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — Central Courthouse (criminal: felonies, misdemeanors, Substance Abuse Assessment Unit) — website (sdcourt.ca.gov)
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — North County Regional Center (criminal) (sdcourt.ca.gov)
- Superior Court of California, County of San Diego — North County Regional Center (criminal) — website (sdcourt.ca.gov)
- Administrative hearing (dmv.ca.gov)
Record history
- — record: San Diego County record verified against primary sources: Superior Court Central Courthouse and North County Regional Center pages, criminal division and business-office pages, California DMV driver safety offices page. Occupational license, court program (the court's Substance Abuse Assessment Unit is a referral unit, not a court program), county fees, reinstatement office and interlock authority stay null.