Our Van Nuys DUI attorneys use every defense available to keep our clients out of jail while saving their driver’s licenses. We may be able to get the DUI charges reduced to a reckless driving or dismissed altogether.
When you scroll down, you will see general information about California DUI Law and what our Van Nuys DUI lawyers can do to help you:
- 1. Do I keep my driver’s license?
- 2. What are the DUI penalties in Van Nuys?
- 3. What is Van Nuys DUI School?
- 4. Which police make DUI arrests?
- 5. Where is the jail in Van Nuys?
- 6. Where is the Van Nuys courthouse?

Driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 or higher is illegal in California even if the driver is not impaired.
1. Do I keep my driver’s license?
Following a DUI arrest, the law enforcement officer takes the defendant’s driver’s license and replaces it with a temporary one good for only thirty days. The defendant then has only ten days to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles to schedule a hearing to protest the license suspension.
Our Van Nuys DUI defense attorneys will request the DMV Hearing for you and also appear on your behalf, including cross-examining witnesses and presenting evidence. Even if the DMV rules against you, first-time DUI defendants can usually keep driving if they install an ignition interlock device (IID) in their vehicles.
2. What are the DUI penalties in Van Nuys?
Van Nuys defendants convicted of their first misdemeanor DUI under Vehicle Code 23152(a) and Vehicle Code 23152(b) are typically sentenced to:
- Up to six months in jail, but that rarely happens
- Fines that may exceed $1,000
- Three years of probation
- A six-month suspension of the driver’s license (though defendants may be able to continue driving if they install an ignition interlock device (IID) in their vehicles)
- A three-month California DUI School program
Sentences for second- or third DUI in Van Nuys are similar but harsher: Bigger fines, longer DUI School programs, mandatory jail time, and the defendant may also have to install an ignition interlock device in their car. And a fourth drunk driving case in ten years is a felony DUI charge, even if no one got hurt.
After you are arrested, your arraignment in criminal court may not be for several months. But we use that time to your advantage by compiling all the evidence in your criminal case and pressuring the prosecutor to negotiate.
3. What is Van Nuys DUI School?
Anyone who is convicted of driving under the influence in Van Nuys will be ordered to complete a California DUI school program. Judges typically order three-month programs for a first offense, eighteen months for a second offense and thirty months for a third offense.
Three DUI Schools in Van Nuys and San Fernando Valley are:
The High Road Program
Programs: First Offender; Eighteen-month; Thirty-month
14430 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91405
(818) 785-9119
Driver Safety Schools, Inc.
Programs: First Offender; Eighteen-month; Thirty-month
6850 Van Nuys Blvd., Ste. 100
Van Nuys, CA 9140
(818) 787-7878
Northeast Valley Health Corporation
Programs: First Offender; Eighteen-month
1036 N. Maclay
San Fernando, CA 91340
(818) 365-2571
4. Which police make DUI arrests?
DUI arrests in Van Nuys are usually done by the Van Nuys Police Department, located at 6240 Sylmar Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91401. The phone number is 818-374-9500.
DUI arrests on the 405 are often conducted by the California Highway Patrol.
5. Where is the jail in Van Nuys?
DUI defendants get booked at the Van Nuys Jail, located at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, Van Nuys, CA 91401. The phone number is (818) 374-9500.
Juvenile arrestees will probably be detained at Eastlake Juvenile Hall, located at 1605 Eastlake Ave., Los Angeles, CA 9033. The phone number is (323) 226-8611.
Also see our article about California bail.
6. Where is the Van Nuys DUI courthouse?
The Los Angeles District Attorney prosecutes DUI cases at the local superior court, Van Nuys Courthouse West. It is located at 14400 Erwin St. Mall, Van Nuys, CA 91401. The phone number is (818) 374-2903. The courthouse clerks there provide defendants who plead to or are convicted of DUI with information about local DUI schools.
Meanwhile, juveniles may have their charges heard at Eastlake Juvenile Court, located at 1601 Eastlake Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033. The phone number is (323) 226-8927.
Learn more about DUI cases at the Van Nuys Courthouse.

Call our criminal defense law firm for legal advice on your criminal charges.
If you or a loved one has been arrested for violating California’s drunk driving laws, our Van Nuys DUI DUI defense lawyers will do everything to achieve the best possible outcome in the case. Our legal team includes former prosecutors, and we have years of experience in reducing your charges or getting them thrown out while fighting to keep your driver’s license. Our criminal defense lawyers are also prepared to take your case all the way to a jury trial in Van Nuys Court if necessary.
Phone our Van Nuys Attorneys DUI Defense Office at (818) 904-5900 to schedule a free consultation. Our criminal defense firm is located at:
14500 Roscoe Blvd.
4th Floor
Van Nuys, CA 91402
Our criminal defense attorneys also serve DUI / DWI clients throughout the San Fernando Valley. We also create attorney-client relationships in Los Angeles County, Riverside, San Bernardino County, Encino, Pasadena, Ventura, West Covina, Rancho Cucamonga, Orange County, Riverside County, Long Beach, San Jose, Barstow, Bellflower, Torrance, Inland Empire, Redwood City, Morgan Hill, Alameda, Fremont, Newport Beach, Ontario, Campbell, San Francisco, and elsewhere in northern California, central California, and southern California state.
Our law offices defend against all types of charges, from traffic tickets, hit and run, violent crimes, and drug crimes to sex crimes, domestic violence criminal offenses, probation violations, and white collar crimes. Our legal team’s practice areas include personal injury and family law in addition to the criminal justice system.
Go to our Van Nuys criminal defense attorneys main page.