duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The release protocol in Kern’s 2026 schedule uses four release categories: Cite and Release, Book and Release, Magistrate Review, and Arraignment Review Only.
- Misdemeanor DUI — first, second or third — is Cite and Release: $0 bail and no financial conditions, on a promise to appear.
- Felony DUI charges — injury, three priors, a prior felony DUI — go to Magistrate Review, with a risk assessment.
- The schedule still lists presumptive amounts: $5,000 for a first DUI up to $200,000 for a felony DUI causing injury.
- The Metropolitan Division closes at noon on Fridays.
- 10 days to request the DMV hearing.
from the date you were served with the notice to demand a hearing from California Department of Motor Vehicles. The request goes to the DMV, not to the court, and no judge in Kern County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
Kern County’s Superior Court publishes a 2026 Felony Bail Schedule, revised December 19, 2025, and despite its name it covers certain Vehicle Code misdemeanors too — the court says it applies its own schedule, rather than the statewide uniform one, to a few Vehicle Code misdemeanors. Its opening section is a pre-arraignment release protocol, and that protocol decides what happens to a DUI arrestee in Bakersfield in the first hours after booking.
This page sets it out, charge by charge, then covers where the case is heard. California’s penalties, DUI program lengths and interlock rules are on the California DUI law page.
The same diagram as a table
| Step | Criminal case — decided by a court | License case — decided by a state agency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrest and booking, hour 0 | Notice of suspension served, day 0 |
| 2 | Charge filed by the prosecutor | Deadline to demand a hearing: 7 to 30 days in the eight states on this site that use an agency hearing |
| 3 | First court setting, on a date the court picks | Hearing held if the request was filed — whether the suspension waits for the ruling is set by each state's statute |
| 4 | One or more pretrial settings | Suspension takes effect automatically with no hearing |
| 5 | Trial, plea or dismissal | — |
| Clock | Weeks to months. No filing deadline runs against the driver. | Counted in days from the notice, and fixed by statute. |
Where a Bakersfield DUI is heard
The court lists the Metro Building, 1415 Truxtun Ave., as its Bakersfield criminal court location, with other criminal courts in Delano, Lamont, Mojave, Ridgecrest and Shafter. The Metropolitan Division is in the tall building at the southeast corner of Truxtun and Chester Avenues; its Justice Building is at 1215 Truxtun, entered from the south side. Both keep the same hours: Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm, and Friday, 8am to noon.
Metropolitan Division
- Hears
- Listed by the court as its Bakersfield criminal court location
- Building
- The tall building at the southeast corner of Truxtun and Chester Avenues
- Address
- 1415 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301
- Detail
- For misdemeanors, the court says a probation officer is available in person Monday to Thursday, 8am to 10am. Misdemeanor Financial Services is in the same building
- Hours
- Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm; Friday, 8am to noon
- Phone
- 661-610-6000 (Misdemeanor Financial Services)
- Why it matters
- Visitors are scanned with metal detectors on entry.
Metropolitan Division, Justice Building
- Hears
- The Metropolitan Division’s second Bakersfield courthouse
- Building
- Southeast corner of Truxtun Avenue and L Street; enter from the south side
- Address
- 1215 Truxtun Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301
- Hours
- Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm; Friday, 8am to noon
The court lists what it can do when a defendant fails to appear: forfeit any bail posted, issue a warrant, order the DMV to suspend the driver’s license, and add a failure-to-appear charge that can carry up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. A warrant stays active until a police agency makes an arrest, the defendant appears in court, or bail is posted.
For misdemeanors at the Metropolitan Building, the court says a probation officer is available in person Monday to Thursday, 8am to 10am. Payment on a new misdemeanor case is handled by Misdemeanor Financial Services in the same building, 661-610-6000.
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The four release categories
The protocol says a judicial officer will release, with conditions where appropriate, arrestees who pose a minimal risk of flight or of danger to public or victim safety, and it places every offense in one of four categories, shown in the schedule’s “Offense Category” column:
- Cite and Release (CR) — for misdemeanors: $0 bail, no financial conditions, and a promise to appear in court under Penal Code section 1318.
- Book and Release (BR) — for designated felonies: $0 bail, a promise to appear, and booking by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
- Magistrate Review (MR) — a magistrate weighs the facts, the arrestee and a risk assessment report, and then releases on own recognizance, releases on $0 bail with the least restrictive non-financial conditions, sets money bail, or defers release to arraignment if safety or appearance cannot otherwise be reasonably assured.
- Arraignment Review Only (AR) — the offenses the Constitution or Penal Code section 1270.1 make ineligible for release before arraignment.
The protocol also lets an arresting officer who believes Book and Release is not appropriate, or that the scheduled bail is too low for a Magistrate Review or Arraignment Review offense, give the booking officer a declaration under Penal Code section 1269c asking for higher bail or for magistrate review. Once that is handed over, the arrestee is not released until the magistrate has reviewed it.
The license. None of this touches the DMV. After a failed or refused test you have 10 days to request a hearing from the DMV.
| What happened | First time | With a prior | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the test | 4 months | 1 year | Cal. Veh. Code § 13353.3(b) |
| Refused the test | 1 year | 2 years (revocation) | Cal. Veh. Code § 23612(a)(1)(D) |
Where each DUI charge falls
The Vehicle Code page of the schedule gives each DUI charge a category and a presumptive bail amount. A misdemeanor DUI under section 23152 is Cite and Release, with presumptive amounts of $5,000, $10,000 with one prior and $20,000 with two. A DUI causing injury under section 23153 filed as a misdemeanor is Cite and Release at $10,000; filed as a felony it is Magistrate Review at $200,000. DUI with three priors under section 23550 is Magistrate Review at $100,000, and DUI with a prior felony DUI under section 23550.5 is Magistrate Review at $50,000. Violating an ignition interlock requirement under section 23247(e) is Cite and Release at $5,000.
Two further rules bear on the felony DUI charges. The protocol lists any felony case in which the defendant has failed to appear more than once among the Magistrate Review cases, and it says anyone arrested for an offense carrying a sentencing enhancement is ineligible for Magistrate Review.
Kern County DUI, charge by charge
From the Vehicle Code section of the court’s 2026 schedule.
| Charge | County | Release category and presumptive bail |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor DUI (Vehicle Code 23152), no prior | Kern | Cite and Release; $5,000 listed |
| Misdemeanor DUI with one prior | Kern | Cite and Release; $10,000 listed |
| Misdemeanor DUI with two priors | Kern | Cite and Release; $20,000 listed |
| DUI causing injury (23153), filed as a misdemeanor | Kern | Cite and Release; $10,000 listed |
| DUI causing injury (23153), felony | Kern | Magistrate Review; $200,000 |
| DUI with three priors (23550) | Kern | Magistrate Review; $100,000 |
| DUI with a prior felony DUI (23550.5) | Kern | Magistrate Review; $50,000 |
The schedule defines Cite and Release as $0 bail with no financial conditions, on a promise to appear. Felony DUI charges are in Magistrate Review, where a magistrate decides release with a risk assessment report.
On a cash bail that is later refunded, the court says refunds are processed automatically on court order, take about four to six weeks, and are mailed by the Kern County Auditor. The other Central Valley page on this site is Fresno, whose court publishes a different schedule; four county schedules side by side show how far the figures differ, and the rest of California is on the state page.
Common questions about Bakersfield DUI cases
Will I be released after a DUI arrest in Bakersfield?
For a misdemeanor DUI, Kern County's 2026 bail schedule lists the charge as Cite and Release: $0 bail and no financial conditions, on a promise to appear. That holds for a first, second or third misdemeanor DUI. Felony DUI charges go to Magistrate Review.
What is bail for a DUI in Kern County?
The schedule lists presumptive amounts of $5,000 for a misdemeanor DUI, $10,000 with one prior and $20,000 with two, but those misdemeanor charges are in the Cite and Release category. A felony DUI causing injury is listed at $200,000, with Magistrate Review.
What is Magistrate Review in Kern County?
A magistrate considers the offense, the arrestee and a risk assessment report, then releases on own recognizance, releases with non-financial conditions, sets money bail, or defers release until arraignment.
Where is DUI court in Bakersfield?
The court lists the Metro Building, 1415 Truxtun Ave., as its Bakersfield criminal court location. It is open Monday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm, and Friday, 8am to noon.
What happens if I miss a court date in Kern County?
The court can forfeit bail, issue a warrant, ask the DMV to suspend your license, and add a failure-to-appear charge carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
How long do I have to request a DMV hearing?
Ten days from the notice of suspension. The request goes to the California DMV, not to the Kern County court.
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More for California
- California DUI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- San Diego — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Los Angeles — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Orange County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Sacramento — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Santa Rosa and Sonoma County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Fresno — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- San Francisco — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- San Bernardino — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Napa — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- San Jose and Santa Clara County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Santa Cruz — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Alameda County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Contra Costa County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- San Mateo County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Solano County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Santa Barbara — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Redding and Shasta County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Visalia and Tulare County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Refusing a breathalyzer — what implied consent costs here against what it buys
- How long it stays on your record — three records, three clocks
- SR-22 insurance after a California suspension — what the filing certifies and how long it runs
- Ignition interlock providers and costs in California — what the device costs and who installs it
Sources
- Superior Court of California, County of Kern, 2026 Felony Bail Schedule (revised December 19, 2025, PDF) — read October 1, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Kern, bail schedules — read October 1, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Kern, Criminal Division — read October 1, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Kern, Metropolitan Division — read October 1, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Kern, Metropolitan Division Justice Building — read October 1, 2026
- Cal. Veh. Code § 23152(b) and the rest of the California statutes cited on this page — read in force 2026
Court addresses, hours and phone numbers were read from each court’s or office’s own published page on October 1, 2026. Those change without notice; confirm before you rely on them. No judge is named anywhere on this page, because a roster is exactly the kind of detail that goes stale silently.