duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The Sacramento County District Attorney’s crime lab states it is one of the few in California managed by a District Attorney’s office.
- Its Toxicology Unit states that it has historically analyzed over 5,000 alcohol-DUI cases and over 3,500 drug-DUI cases a year.
- The lab states it is accredited by ANAB to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
- Criminal cases are heard in two facilities: the Cantil-Sakauye Courthouse at 500 G St. and the Patiño Hall of Justice, the Main Jail, at 651 I Street.
- A misdemeanor can bring informal probation, which the court supervises itself rather than the Probation Department.
- 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 Sacramento County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
California’s DUI law is the same Vehicle Code everywhere, and the penalty ladder is on the California DUI law page. What is different about Sacramento is who runs the forensic laboratory. The county’s crime lab, which states that it provides forensic services to all law enforcement agencies operating in Sacramento County, belongs to the District Attorney.
That is not a hidden fact. The District Attorney’s office describes its crime lab as one of the few in California managed by a prosecutor, and publishes what it does. This page sets that out, alongside where the case is heard and how a misdemeanor sentence is supervised.
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 Sacramento DUI is heard
The Superior Court states that its Criminal Division handles felony and misdemeanor cases brought on behalf of the State of California in the County of Sacramento, with courtroom operations, collaborative courts and case processing spread across two separate facilities. The criminal phone line for both is 916-874-5522, option 1.
Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse
- Hears
- Criminal — one of the court’s two criminal locations
- Building
- Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse
- Address
- 500 G St., Sacramento, CA 95814
- Detail
- The court states that its Criminal Division handles felony and misdemeanor cases in two separate court facilities
- Phone
- 916-874-5522, option 1 (Criminal)
Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice (Main Jail)
- Hears
- Criminal — the court’s other criminal location
- Building
- Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice
- Address
- 651 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Detail
- The court names it together with the Main Jail
- Phone
- 916-874-5522, option 1 (Criminal)
The court lists its criminal locations as the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Courthouse and the Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice, and names the second together with the Main Jail. The court’s other locations — the Carol Miller Justice Center, the Juvenile Courthouse and the William R. Ridgeway Family Relations Courthouse — are not on its list of criminal locations.
The court changed systems recently: it states that a new criminal case management system took effect on August 10, 2026, and points to its Criminal Case Portal for case information and records.
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 first ten days
The DMV case moves first. After a reading at or above the limit, or a refusal, the officer serves a notice of suspension, and under Vehicle Code section 13558(b) you have 10 days to request a hearing from the DMV. Section 13353.3(a) makes the suspension effective on the thirtieth day after service. Neither courthouse handles that request.
The criminal case follows the court’s calendar. The court publishes a felony and misdemeanor bail schedule, and states that the sheriff’s Alternative Sentencing Program lets people work community service hours in place of paying fines or serving jail time, under that program’s own rules.
| 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 District Attorney’s laboratory
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Laboratory of Forensic Services was established in 1969 and, the office says, shares a 48,000 square foot facility with the Sacramento County Coroner. It states that it provides forensic services to all law enforcement agencies operating in the county, that it first received accreditation in 2000 and that it is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board to ISO/IEC 17025:2017.
The part that matters for a DUI is the Toxicology Unit. The office states that it analyzes biological specimens for alcohol and drugs, that its samples come from cases including driving under the influence, and that it has historically analyzed over 5,000 cases a year involving driving under the influence of alcohol and over 3,500 involving driving under the influence of drugs.
Put plainly: the county’s forensic laboratory, whose toxicology unit analyzes DUI cases, is a unit of the District Attorney’s office. The laboratory’s accreditation and scope are published, and the penalties themselves are statewide — see the California DUI law page.
DUI cases across Sacramento County
For a DUI charged in Sacramento County the courthouse, the laboratory and the probation model are county-wide.
| Situation | County | Where the case goes |
|---|---|---|
| A misdemeanor or felony DUI charged in Sacramento County | Sacramento | The Cantil-Sakauye Courthouse or the Patiño Hall of Justice |
| Forensic testing for any law enforcement agency in the county | Sacramento | The District Attorney’s Laboratory of Forensic Services |
| A misdemeanor sentence that includes probation | Sacramento | Informal probation may be granted, supervised by the court |
The DA’s laboratory states that it provides forensic services to all law enforcement agencies operating in Sacramento County.
On probation the court is specific. A misdemeanor defendant may be granted informal probation, which the court supervises itself: there is no probation officer to report to, but the conditions — obeying all laws, fines, jail, classes, search terms — still apply, and a violation can mean revocation and more jail. A felony can bring formal probation, supervised by the Sacramento County Probation Department. The court adds that successfully completing probation may make a person eligible for automatic conviction record relief under Penal Code section 1203.425.
For the other California counties on this site, see Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
Common questions about Sacramento DUI cases
Where is a Sacramento DUI heard?
At one of the Superior Court's two criminal facilities: the Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse, 500 G St., or the Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice, 651 I Street, which the court names together with the Main Jail. The criminal line is 916-874-5522, option 1.
Who tests the blood in a Sacramento DUI?
The Sacramento County District Attorney's Laboratory of Forensic Services, whose Toxicology Unit analyzes specimens for alcohol and drugs. The office states it has historically analyzed over 5,000 alcohol-DUI and over 3,500 drug-DUI cases a year.
Is the Sacramento crime lab accredited?
The District Attorney's office states that the laboratory is accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, and that it first received accreditation in 2000.
What is informal probation in Sacramento?
Probation for a misdemeanor that the court supervises itself, without a probation officer. The court states that its conditions still apply and that a violation can lead to revocation and additional jail time.
How long do I have to request a DMV hearing after a Sacramento arrest?
Ten days from the notice, under Vehicle Code section 13558(b). The request goes to the California DMV, not to the court, and the suspension takes effect on the thirtieth day after service.
Can community service replace jail or fines?
The court describes the Sacramento County Sheriff's Alternative Sentencing Program, which lets people work community service hours in place of paying fines or serving jail time under the program's rules.
Request a review of your Sacramento case
Free, no obligation, and you decide who, if anyone, you speak with.
Your request is ready to send
Here is what happens after you submit:
- We pass your answers only to attorneys licensed in the state where the arrest happened, when one is taking requests for that area.
- Never to more than three. Only those attorneys and duistatelaws.com may use your details to contact you.
- You decide who, if anyone, you speak with. You are not committed to anyone.
Submitting this request does not create an attorney–client relationship.
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
- 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
- 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 Sacramento, Criminal division (read in a browser) — read September 26, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, court locations — read September 26, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, court-ordered programs and service providers — read September 26, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, collaborative and specialized courts — read September 26, 2026
- Sacramento County District Attorney, about the office — read September 26, 2026
- Sacramento County District Attorney, about the crime lab — read September 26, 2026
- Sacramento County District Attorney, crime lab services — read September 26, 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 26, 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.