Alcohol and drugs
How long does a DUI conviction stay on your California driver's record?
- 10 years. Correct answer
- 36 months.
- 5 years.
Why
Most convictions and collisions sit on the record for 36 months, and some for longer depending on what they were. A DUI is in a category of its own: every DUI conviction remains on your driver's record for 10 years, and any further DUI within that window brings additional penalties from the court or DMV. The conviction itself already costs a one-year suspension or revocation, a mandatory DUI program, proof of insurance on an SR 22 or SR 1P certificate, and reissue fees. After that the handbook switches from what happens to what can happen: an ignition interlock device, up to six months in jail, a fine, and the impound and storage costs of your vehicle are all things you may face rather than things the conviction carries by itself. Five years is not a figure the handbook uses.
Where this comes from
California Driver's Handbook, DL 600 ENGLISH (REV. 6/2025). The correct answer is 10 years..