duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The court assigns cases to the Northern or Southern Branch by the city or agency that made the arrest.
- Remote appearances are not authorized on criminal calendars, except Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion Court.
- The 2026 misdemeanor schedule, effective July 27, 2026, lists a misdemeanor DUI at $5,000, $10,000 with one prior and $20,000 with two.
- The Multiple DUI Court takes a 2nd or 3rd DUI within 10 years, post-plea, for about 6 months of intensive supervision.
- Its handbook says participation may lower fines and jail time.
- Whichever branch hears the case, the DMV hearing 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 San Mateo County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
San Mateo County’s Superior Court splits criminal work between two branches, and the court publishes which cities and agencies go where. A DUI arrest by Daly City or South San Francisco police goes to the Northern Branch; one by Redwood City or San Mateo police goes to the Southern Branch at the Hall of Justice.
This page covers that split, the court’s rules for appearing, its 2026 bail schedule and its Multiple DUI Court. 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. |
Which branch hears a San Mateo County DUI
The Northern Branch is at 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco. Its list covers Brisbane, Broadmoor, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, Pacifica, San Bruno and South San Francisco, plus the airport, BART and the Sheriff’s Office, including cities that contract with it for police services. The Southern Branch is the Hall of Justice at 400 County Center, Redwood City, and covers Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Redwood City and San Mateo. Some agencies, including the California Highway Patrol, appear on both lists.
The Criminal Division is open at both locations from 8am to 4pm on weekdays, and its phone is 650-261-5100. The court offers court date text reminders.
Southern Branch – Hall of Justice
- Hears
- Criminal cases from the southern cities and agencies; the Multiple DUI Court
- Building
- Hall of Justice
- Address
- 400 County Center, 4th Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063
- Detail
- The Multiple DUI Court handbook (rev. 2024) lists its hearings here, in Courtroom 7B
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
- Phone
- 650-261-5100
Northern Branch
- Hears
- Criminal cases from the northern cities and agencies
- Building
- Northern Branch
- Address
- 1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
- Phone
- 650-261-5100
The court’s criminal remote appearance protocol says remote appearances are not authorized on criminal calendars. The only exceptions it lists are Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion Court.
For a lawyer, the court points to the Private Defender Program at 650-298-4000 and the San Mateo County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at 650-369-4149.
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.
Bail and the DMV clock
Bail. The court’s 2026 schedule has two dates: its misdemeanor section, effective July 27, 2026, lists a misdemeanor DUI at $5,000, with one prior at $10,000 and with two priors at $20,000; misdemeanor DUI causing injury is $10,000, $15,000 with one prior and $25,000 with two. Its felony section, under a cover dated August 3, 2026, includes DUI with three priors and DUI with a prior felony DUI at $50,000 each, felony DUI causing injury at $50,000, and DUI causing great bodily injury with four priors at $150,000. The schedule’s worked example says that when several charges arise from a single act that bars multiple punishments, bail is the highest single amount.
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) |
The Multiple DUI Court
The court describes its Multiple DUI Court as an exclusively post-plea program that aims to improve traffic safety through intensive supervision of repeat DUI offenders. Defendants charged with a second or third DUI within ten years are screened for eligibility, unless a disqualification applies. The program is designed to be six months of intensive supervision, which may be shortened to four or lengthened depending on compliance; the handbook says a felony DUI may last up to twelve months.
Who is eligible. The court lists residents of San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara or San Francisco County who have not been ordered to serve more than 30 days on a second DUI or 180 on a third, nor more than 90 days of residential treatment on a second or 180 on a third, whose case does not involve a firearm, a deadly or dangerous weapon or the use of force, who are not already on an intensive supervision caseload, and who meet the program’s screening criteria. The handbook adds that a DUI involving great bodily injury or manslaughter is not eligible.
What it involves. Regular court appearances, random drug and alcohol testing, probation visits, enrollment in the Multiple Offender Program at a DMV-approved provider, an ignition interlock device in a vehicle, and treatment. According to the handbook, hearings are held on Mondays at 9:30am in Courtroom 7B at the Hall of Justice, and participation means fines and jail time may be lowered.
Branch by arresting agency
From the court’s judicial district and geographical areas page.
| Arresting city or agency | Branch | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Daly City, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Pacifica, Brisbane, Colma, Hillsborough | Northern Branch | 1050 Mission Road |
| Redwood City, San Mateo, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Belmont, Atherton, Half Moon Bay | Southern Branch | 400 County Center |
| Airport, BART, Sheriff’s Office | Northern Branch | As the court’s list assigns them |
The court lists agencies such as the California Highway Patrol under both branches; the branch printed on the citation or the court notice is the one to follow.
The court’s post-conviction resources page lists the DUI First Offender and Multiple Offender Programs and the Sheriff’s Alternative Sentencing and work programs. How San Mateo’s bail figures compare with other counties is on the DUI bail guide; the neighboring pages are San Francisco and Alameda County.
Common questions about San Mateo County DUI cases
Which San Mateo County courthouse handles my DUI?
It depends on the arresting agency. Daly City, South San Francisco and other northern cities go to the Northern Branch at 1050 Mission Road; Redwood City, San Mateo and other southern cities go to the Hall of Justice, 400 County Center.
Can I appear remotely for a DUI in San Mateo County?
No. The court says remote appearances are not authorized on criminal calendars, except Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion Court.
How much is bail for a DUI in San Mateo County?
The 2026 misdemeanor schedule (effective July 27, 2026) lists a misdemeanor DUI at $5,000, $10,000 with one prior and $20,000 with two. The felony schedule lists DUI with three priors at $50,000.
Who qualifies for San Mateo County's Multiple DUI Court?
People charged with a second or third DUI within ten years who live in San Mateo, Alameda, Santa Clara or San Francisco County and meet the other criteria, including no firearm, weapon or force.
How long is the Multiple DUI Court?
About six months of intensive supervision, shortened to four or lengthened with compliance; the handbook says up to twelve months for a felony DUI.
Does the Multiple DUI Court deal with my driver's license?
Not the administrative suspension. That is a DMV proceeding, and the hearing request is due within ten days of the notice under Vehicle Code 13558.
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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
- Contra Costa 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 San Mateo, Criminal Division — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, judicial district and geographical areas — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, criminal remote appearance protocol — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, local bail schedules — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, 2026 felony and misdemeanor bail schedule (PDF) — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, Multiple DUI Court — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, Multiple DUI Court participant handbook (PDF) — read October 7, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of San Mateo, post conviction resources and programs — 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.