duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- Misdemeanor arraignments for people not in custody are heard Monday to Friday at 8:30am in Department 3.
- Felony in-custody arraignments are at 2:30pm on weekdays in Department 1.
- A warrant is cleared by checking in at the Criminal Division in a 15-minute window; the court says late check-ins are not accepted.
- Jail remand dates are mandatory and cannot be changed or postponed, the court says.
- Payment plans run through the court’s collection agency after a referral; a financial evaluation is heard on Fridays.
- The license is a DMV matter, not a Napa court one: 10 days from the notice.
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 Napa County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
Napa County has one Superior Court, and its criminal work is done at the Criminal Courthouse at 1111 Third Street, where the Criminal/Post Court Services Division keeps its counter. The court publishes its current criminal calendar by department, which makes it possible to say where a DUI case is likely to be heard and when.
This page covers that calendar and the court’s answers to the questions people ask after an arrest. The penalties, the priors 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. |
Where a Napa DUI is heard
The Criminal/Post Court Services Division is at 1111 Third Street (707-299-1180) and is open from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, including the noon hour. The court accepts filings in that window, and a drop box for same-day filings and payments is available at court facilities every day until 5pm. The court also has a Historic Courthouse at 825 Brown Street, and it does not accept documents by direct fax.
Remote appearance is possible but not a right: the court says remote appearances are at the discretion of the judicial officer, and that anyone with a question about a remote hearing should call 707-299-1100 rather than email. Several departments no longer allow Zoom appearances by telephone.
Napa County Criminal Courthouse
- Hears
- The court’s Criminal/Post Court Services Division and its criminal departments
- Building
- Criminal Courthouse
- Address
- 1111 Third Street, Napa, CA 94559
- Detail
- A drop box for same-day filings and payments is available until 5pm every day
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm, including the noon hour
- Phone
- 707-299-1180 (Criminal Division)
Historic Courthouse
- Role
- One of the court’s Napa courthouses
- Building
- Historic Courthouse
- Address
- 825 Brown Street, Napa, CA 94559
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
- Phone
- 707-299-1100
The court says an outstanding warrant is cleared by appearing at the Criminal Division during set check-in times. For misdemeanors, check-in is 1:45pm to 2pm on Mondays and Fridays for a 2:30pm court, and 12:45pm to 1pm Tuesday to Thursday for a 1:30pm court; for felonies, 8am to 8:15am for the morning calendar and 1:45pm to 2pm for the afternoon, every weekday. Late check-ins are not accepted, and a person who does not go to the assigned courtroom leaves the warrant outstanding.
If you were arrested and released with a court date written on the release form, the court says you must appear as ordered; missing the date results in a warrant.
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.
The DMV clock, then Department 3
The license. California gives 10 days from the notice to request a hearing from the DMV. That is a state proceeding, separate from anything at the Third Street courthouse.
The first court date. The court’s calendar puts misdemeanor arraignments for people not in custody in Department 3, Monday to Friday at 8:30am. Department 3 also hears settlement conferences and review and sentencing from Tuesday to Thursday at 9:30am — public defender cases on Wednesdays and Thursdays and private attorney cases on Tuesdays — and motions and short-cause hearings on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Felony matters, including in-custody arraignments at 2:30pm, are in Department 1, which also calls jury trials for assignment on Mondays at 8:30am.
| 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) |
After sentencing: remand, fines and programs
Remand dates. The court says all remand dates are mandatory and cannot be changed or postponed: you must report to the jail on the date and time on the paperwork you were given in court. Questions go to the jail at 707-253-4401.
Paying the fine. Payment plans are available through the court’s collection agency, Linebarger, but only after the court refers you. Working off all or part of a fine is arranged through the same agency after a financial evaluation; if you are found eligible, you are referred back to the court for placement. Department 3 hears financial evaluations on Fridays at 9am.
Court-ordered programs. The clerks in the Criminal/Post Court Services Division can sometimes re-refer a person to a court-ordered program. Anyone on formal probation needs written permission from the probation officer before going to the counter for that, the court says.
Clearing the record later. The court’s FAQ describes expungement under Penal Code sections 1203.4 and 1203.4a as reopening a misdemeanor or certain felony convictions to set them aside, and warns that it does not remove the case entirely: the arrest and charges still exist, and the conviction must be disclosed in answer to direct questions on applications for public office or state or local licensing.
Napa’s criminal calendar
The hearings a DUI case is most likely to reach, from the court’s current calendars.
| Hearing | Department | When |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor arraignment, not in custody | Department 3 | Monday to Friday, 8:30am |
| Felony in-custody arraignment | Department 1 | Monday to Friday, 2:30pm |
| Misdemeanor settlement conferences and sentencing | Department 3 | Tuesday to Thursday, 9:30am |
| Misdemeanor walk-in or return surrender | Department 3 | Tuesday to Thursday, 1:30pm |
| Misdemeanor walk-in or return surrender | Department 1 | Monday and Friday, 2:30pm |
| Drug Court | Department 3 | Friday, 10:30am |
| Financial evaluation | Department 3 | Friday, 9am |
| Readiness conference | Department 1 | Wednesday, 1:30pm |
The court publishes these as current calendars; they change with judicial assignments.
The calendar also lists a Prop. 36 hearing on the first Monday of the month and mental health diversion hearings. The other Northern California pages on this site are Santa Rosa, Sacramento and San Francisco.
Common questions about Napa DUI cases
Where is DUI court in Napa?
The Criminal Courthouse at 1111 Third Street, Napa. Misdemeanor arraignments for people not in custody are in Department 3, Monday to Friday at 8:30am.
How do I clear a DUI warrant in Napa County?
Appear at the Criminal Division during a check-in window. For misdemeanors: 1:45pm to 2pm on Mondays and Fridays, or 12:45pm to 1pm Tuesday to Thursday. The court does not accept late check-ins.
Can I change my jail remand date in Napa?
No. The court says remand dates are mandatory and cannot be changed or postponed. Contact the jail at 707-253-4401 for information.
Can I appear remotely for a Napa County DUI hearing?
Only if the judicial officer allows it; the court says remote appearances are at the judge's discretion. Call 707-299-1100 with questions rather than emailing.
Can I pay my Napa court fine in installments?
Yes, through the court's collection agency, after a referral from the court. Working off a fine requires a financial evaluation, heard on Fridays at 9am.
Does the Napa court handle my driver's license suspension?
No. The license suspension is a DMV matter: you have ten days from the notice to ask the DMV for a hearing under Vehicle Code 13558, whatever happens at the Third Street courthouse.
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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
- 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 Napa, Criminal Division — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Napa, locations and contact information — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Napa, Criminal Courthouse — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Napa, courtroom remote appearances — read October 6, 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 6, 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.