duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The court’s 2026 criminal bail schedule lists $5,000 for a first misdemeanor DUI, $10,000 for a second and $25,000 for a third.
- The DUI Court is for high-risk defendants charged with a subsequent misdemeanor DUI; it sits every Thursday in Department 97B.
- Participants plead guilty; a jail sentence is imposed and stayed while they go through supervision and treatment.
- An alcohol monitoring device has to be in place within 5 days of sentencing.
- An in-custody defendant has the right to be arraigned within 48 hours of arrest, the court states.
- 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 Fresno County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
Fresno County’s Superior Court publishes more about DUI than most: a dedicated DUI Court with its own policies and participant handbook, a criminal bail schedule for 2026 that prices each level of DUI, and a one-stop center for the programs a sentence can order, DUI classes among them. The statewide penalties — jail ranges, fines, the DUI program lengths and the interlock rules — are on the California DUI law page.
This page follows a Fresno case from custody to sentence, using the court’s own pages.
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 Fresno DUI is handled
The Criminal Division’s felony and misdemeanor clerk is in the downtown Fresno Superior Courthouse, 1100 Van Ness Ave., fourth floor, room 401, open 8am to 4pm. The court also runs criminal departments 95 and 96 at the Jail Annex, 1265 M St. The DUI Court sits in Department 97B.
Fresno Superior Courthouse, Criminal Division
- Hears
- Felony and misdemeanor clerk’s office
- Building
- Fresno Superior Courthouse, downtown, 4th floor, room 401
- Address
- 1100 Van Ness Ave., Fresno, CA 93724
- Detail
- The court’s ACTION Center, for sentencing orders such as DUI classes and fines, is on the B1 level of the same building
- Hours
- Clerk 8am to 4pm
- Phone
- 559-457-1801
Fresno County DUI Court
- Hears
- A post-adjudication treatment court for repeat misdemeanor DUI, in two tracks
- Building
- Department 97B
- Address
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno
- Detail
- The court sits every Thursday
- Hours
- Thursdays
- Phone
- 559-457-6362 (Department 97B)
Jail Annex, Criminal Courts Departments 95 and 96
- Hears
- Criminal departments at the jail annex
- Building
- Jail Annex
- Address
- 1265 M St., Fresno, CA 93721
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
- Phone
- 559-457-2000
Once a sentence is imposed, the court sends people to its After Criminal One-Stop Network, the ACTION Center, on the B1 level of 1100 Van Ness Ave. — the court notes the doorway says Department 10. It processes sentencing orders for, among others, DUI classes, court community service, the Adult Offender Work Program, electronic monitoring and fines, and is open 8am to 4pm.
The court also runs a Veterans Treatment Court, a post-conviction program for service members whose involvement with the criminal justice system is related to mental illness, substance abuse, sexual trauma or other conditions, working with the Veterans Administration.
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Custody, bail and the first hearing
Bail. The court publishes the amounts needed to bail a person out of jail, and notes that they may not match the total fine a judge orders at sentencing. For 2026 it lists $5,000 for a first misdemeanor DUI under Vehicle Code section 23152, $10,000 for a second and $25,000 for a third, and $7,500 for a misdemeanor DUI causing injury under section 23153. A felony DUI causing injury or death is listed at $50,000 with no priors, $100,000 with one prior DUI and $200,000 with two.
Arraignment. The court states that a defendant in custody has the right to be arraigned within 48 hours of arrest. At arraignment the judge explains the charges and the defendant’s rights, bail can be raised or lowered, and the defendant pleads. On a misdemeanor, a guilty plea can be sentenced on the spot; after a not-guilty plea, the court says trial is held within 30 days if the defendant is in custody or 45 days if not, unless time is waived.
The license. None of that touches the administrative suspension. After a failed or refused test you have 10 days to request a hearing from the DMV, and that deadline is not extended by anything that happens in court.
| 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) |
The Fresno County DUI Court
The court describes its DUI Court as a court-supervised, post-adjudication treatment program for adults, built on a team approach with increased supervision, mandatory substance abuse treatment, counselling and random, frequent testing. It is aimed at high-risk defendants charged with subsequent misdemeanor DUI offenses. It sits every Thursday in Department 97B.
How a case gets there. The defendant first appears in their home court department and is told about the program. Those interested are screened by the DUI Court team; once approved, they plead guilty, a jail sentence is imposed and stayed, and supervision and treatment begin. A defendant who declines goes back to the home court — and the court states that if they later plead or are found guilty, they may be re-screened and, if still eligible, ordered into the program.
Two tracks. Track I, DUI Treatment Court, is for participants with addiction issues; an assessment sets the level of treatment. Track II, DUI Compliance Court, is for repeat offenders the court describes as having little or no addiction, and focuses on abstinence, supervision and finishing the sentence. Either can involve an ignition interlock or another monitoring device, and possibly the Adult Offender Work Program.
Monitoring. Participants must have an alcohol monitoring device in place within five days of sentencing, from a breath unit to a transdermal ankle monitor. The court warns that drinking, missed tests or tampering may mean a remand into custody to serve the rest of the stayed term. Participants must also enrol in the DMV’s 18-month multiple offender program and show attendance.
Fresno County DUI bail, by charge
From the court’s 2026 criminal bail schedule. These are the amounts the court lists to bail a person out of jail, not fines.
| Charge | County | Bail |
|---|---|---|
| A first misdemeanor DUI (Vehicle Code 23152) | Fresno | $5,000 on the 2026 criminal bail schedule |
| A second misdemeanor DUI | Fresno | $10,000 |
| A third misdemeanor DUI | Fresno | $25,000 |
| A misdemeanor DUI causing injury (23153) | Fresno | $7,500 |
| A felony DUI causing injury or death, no priors / one / two | Fresno | $50,000 / $100,000 / $200,000 |
The court notes that the schedules may not reflect the total fine ordered by the judge at sentencing. A judge can raise or lower bail at arraignment.
The Fresno County District Attorney prosecutes the case; the court’s criminal page describes the district attorney presenting evidence at a felony preliminary hearing. The other California pages on this site are Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, Santa Rosa and San Francisco.
Common questions about Fresno DUI cases
What is bail for a first DUI in Fresno County?
The court's 2026 criminal bail schedule lists $5,000 for a first misdemeanor DUI under Vehicle Code 23152, $10,000 for a second and $25,000 for a third. The court notes these may not match the fine ordered at sentencing.
Does Fresno have a DUI court?
Yes. The Fresno County DUI Court sits every Thursday in Department 97B and takes high-risk defendants charged with a subsequent misdemeanor DUI, in a treatment track or a compliance track.
What happens if I join Fresno's DUI Court?
You plead guilty, a jail sentence is imposed and stayed, and you begin supervision and treatment, with an alcohol monitoring device in place within five days of sentencing. Violations can lead to a remand to serve the stayed term.
Where do I go after being sentenced for DUI in Fresno?
The court's ACTION Center, on the B1 level of 1100 Van Ness Ave., processes sentencing orders for DUI classes, community service, electronic monitoring and fines.
How soon will I see a judge after a Fresno DUI arrest?
The court states that a defendant in custody has the right to be arraigned within 48 hours of arrest.
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 Fresno 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
- 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
- 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 Fresno, DUI Court — read September 29, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, Criminal Division — read September 29, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, criminal bail schedules 2026 — read September 29, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, ACTION Center — read September 29, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, Jail Annex — read September 29, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, Veterans Treatment Court — read September 29, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Fresno, criminal FAQs — read September 29, 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 September 29, 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.