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, June 2025 edition. The correct answer is 10 years.
The rule behind this one
California alcohol and drug rules for drivers goes through the whole topic, with the page of the California Driver's Handbook behind every rule.
More on alcohol and drugs
- You are 30 years old and not on DUI probation. You are driving your own car, which needs no commercial license and carries no passengers for hire. At what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) does it become illegal for you to drive?
- You are 40 years old and on DUI probation. At what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) does it become illegal for you to drive?
- A friend is driving and you are in the passenger seat of their car. May you drink a beer?
- You are convicted of a DUI in California. What does DMV do to your driving privilege, and what must you do?