duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The 2026 schedules took effect on July 8, 2026 under a standing order; they carry the pre-arraignment release protocol in force since July 2024.
- A first misdemeanor DUI is Book and Release: $0 bail and no financial conditions, unless an exception applies.
- With one prior within 7 years the schedule lists $10,000; with two, $30,000.
- Felony DUI with three priors is listed at $100,000.
- The court says you cannot change a court date on any criminal case.
- Release from custody does not touch the license: the DMV request is due in 10 days.
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 Contra Costa County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
Contra Costa County’s Superior Court sits in Martinez, the county seat, and in Richmond, Pittsburg and Walnut Creek. Its Criminal Division explains that a criminal case begins when a prosecutor files formal charges, a person is arrested, or a grand jury issues an indictment, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
What sets the county apart is how release works before the first court date. This page covers the court’s 2026 bail schedules and the protocol that comes with them. The penalties and the interlock terms 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. |
The Contra Costa courthouses
The court lists the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse at 725 Court Street and the A.F. Bray Courthouse at 1020 Ward Street, both in Martinez; the George D. Carroll Courthouse at 100 37th Street, Richmond; the Richard E. Arnason Justice Center at 1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg; and the Walnut Creek Juvenile and Traffic Center at 640 Ygnacio Valley Road. All share the number 925-608-1000. The Criminal Division clerk’s office is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, excluding court holidays, and the court lists eighteen criminal departments.
Wakefield Taylor Courthouse
- Hears
- Martinez courthouse
- Building
- Wakefield Taylor Courthouse
- Address
- 725 Court Street, Martinez, CA 94553
- Phone
- 925-608-1000
A.F. Bray Courthouse
- Hears
- Martinez courthouse
- Building
- A.F. Bray Courthouse
- Address
- 1020 Ward Street, Martinez, CA 94553
- Phone
- 925-608-1000
George D. Carroll Courthouse
- Hears
- Richmond courthouse
- Building
- George D. Carroll Courthouse
- Address
- 100 37th Street, Richmond, CA 94805
- Phone
- 925-608-1000
Richard E. Arnason Justice Center
- Hears
- Pittsburg courthouse
- Building
- Richard E. Arnason Justice Center
- Address
- 1000 Center Drive, Pittsburg, CA 94565
- Phone
- 925-608-1000
The court says you cannot change your court date on any criminal case; a person with a lawyer should contact the lawyer, and anyone who posted a bail bond should contact the bail company. If you fail to appear, the judge may issue a bench warrant. To clear it, you must go to the clerk’s office between 8am and 1pm to be placed on the court calendar for a same-day appearance.
Not sure which court your case is in?
Enter the ZIP code where the arrest happened and the full form opens with it filled in.
Release before arraignment
The court’s misdemeanor schedule opens with a Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol, effective since July 2024, which it describes as a shift away from setting money bail for many less serious, low-risk misdemeanor and felony offenses. Each eligible offense is designated Cite and Release (CR) or Book and Release (BR). The protocol says people arrested for an offense designated BR are subject to $0 bail, are not required to provide financial conditions of release, and must promise to appear as required by Penal Code section 1318.
A misdemeanor DUI under Vehicle Code 23152 with no prior is designated BR, with a listed amount of $5,000. There are exceptions: an arrestee on felony probation, parole or post-release community supervision at the time of the offense must post cash bail in the scheduled amount for the new arrest. The protocol also says its pre-arraignment amounts are not binding on the judge at arraignment, which typically occurs within 48 hours of arrest unless a weekend or holiday intervenes.
The license. Separately, California gives 10 days from the notice 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 the priors change the number
The DUI lines change category with priors. The misdemeanor schedule lists DUI with one prior within seven years at $10,000 and with two priors within seven years at $30,000, coded BC rather than Book and Release (the schedule does not define BC); misdemeanor DUI causing injury is $25,000. In the felony schedule, DUI causing injury is listed at $50,000 and up, and DUI with three prior DUI convictions under sections 23550 and 23550.5 at $100,000.
The seven-year phrase is the schedule’s own wording for these lines; the state’s sentencing lookback is on the California page. The court also runs a Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion for veterans whose cases are affected by service-related trauma, substance abuse or mental health problems, in which each accepted veteran is assigned a veteran mentor.
Contra Costa’s 2026 DUI bail lines
From the court’s 2026 misdemeanor and felony schedules.
| Charge | Protocol code | Scheduled amount |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor DUI, no prior | Book and Release ($0) | $5,000 |
| Misdemeanor DUI, one prior within 7 years | BC | $10,000 |
| Misdemeanor DUI, two priors within 7 years | BC | $30,000 |
| Misdemeanor DUI causing injury | BC | $25,000 |
| Felony DUI causing injury | BC | $50,000+ |
| Felony DUI with three priors | BC/S | $100,000 |
The protocol says offenses marked Book and Release carry $0 bail on a promise to appear, unless an exception applies — for example an arrestee on felony probation, parole or post-release community supervision, who must post the scheduled amount.
How Contra Costa compares with other counties is on the DUI bail guide. The neighboring county pages are Alameda and San Mateo.
Common questions about Contra Costa County DUI cases
How much is bail for a first DUI in Contra Costa County?
Under the 2026 schedule a first misdemeanor DUI is Book and Release: $0 bail on a promise to appear, with a listed amount of $5,000. Exceptions apply, for example to people on felony probation or parole.
How much is bail for a second DUI in Contra Costa County?
The 2026 misdemeanor schedule lists DUI with one prior within seven years at $10,000, and with two priors within seven years at $30,000.
Can I change my criminal court date in Contra Costa County?
No. The court says you cannot change your court date on any criminal case; contact your lawyer, or the bail company if you posted a bond.
How do I clear a warrant in Contra Costa County?
Go to the clerk's office between 8am and 1pm to be placed on the court calendar for a same-day appearance.
When did the Contra Costa 2026 bail schedule take effect?
July 8, 2026, under a standing order of the same date.
Does Book and Release stop my license suspension?
No. Release from custody has nothing to do with the license. The DMV suspension runs separately, and Vehicle Code 13558 gives ten days from the notice to request a hearing.
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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
- Bakersfield and Kern County — 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
- 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 Contra Costa, Criminal — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, general information – criminal — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, 2026 misdemeanor bail schedule (Excel) — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, 2026 felony bail schedule (Excel) — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, collaborative justice courts — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa, locations — read October 7, 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 7, 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.