DUI School Types
Alcohol education classes, or DUI schools, have become mandatory in California drunk driving cases. There are several different types of DUI schools – the one you’ll be required to attend after a California drunk driving conviction will depend on the facts of your case and whether you have prior DUI convictions. The only way to avoid alcohol education classes is to avoid being convicted of your California DUI charge. A skilled California DUI attorney from The Kavinoky Law Firm can review your case and give you more information about aggressively fighting your drunk driving charge.
If you’re convicted of a first-offense California DUI charge and your blood alcohol content (BAC) was .19 percent or less, you’ll be required to attend the California First Offender program. This program meets once a week for three months, for a total of 12 hours of instruction. Your cost for the course will be $440.
If your BAC was .20 percent or greater, you’ll be required to complete the Enhanced First Offender course, which runs for six or nine months. This course also meets once a week for one hour. The cost of the six-month program is $816, and the cost of the nine-month program is $1,100.
California also has a 12-month Enhanced Offender program for both first offenders and drivers with prior DUI convictions. The cost of the 12-month program is $1,314. Like other California DUI school programs, this course meets once each week for an hour a session. For individuals with prior DUI convictions within the past 10 years, California has an 18-month multiple-offender course. This course costs $1,465.
If you reach a plea bargain in your California DUI case that allows you to plead guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol, also known as “wet-reckless,” you’ll need to attend a six-week “zero tolerance” education course. The cost of this course is $177.
If you’re ordered to attend alcohol education classes after a California DUI conviction, you’ll be required to follow the rules in order to receive credit for the classes. One requirement is that you abstain from alcohol and drugs during the course of the program. Also, if you’re arrested for DUI again while attending an alcohol education program, you’ll be expelled from the program.
Other rules for California DUI schools include the requirement that you participate in the program activities, attend the class sessions unless you’re granted a leave of absence, and behave courteously toward the program’s instructors. You can also be discharged from the alcohol education program if your fees are 30 days or more overdue.
DUI school is mandatory after a California drunk driving conviction, and the length of the classes depends on the facts of your case. To learn more about alcohol education classes and fighting a drunk driving charge, please contact an experienced California DUI attorney from The Kavinoky Law Firm today at 1-800-NO-CUFFS for a free consultation.
