duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The court says criminal cases are filed only in the Santa Cruz Division; Watsonville takes payments, not filings.
- The 2026 bail schedule lists a misdemeanor DUI at $5,000 for a first offense, $7,500 for a second and $10,000 for a third.
- Each count has a higher “high BAC” line: $7,500, $10,000 and $12,500.
- A felony DUI with injury is listed at $25,000, rising to $75,000 with two or more priors.
- Bail is based on the highest single charge from the same facts, not added up.
- Separately from Ocean Street, the DMV hearing request is due within 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 Santa Cruz County will make it for you. Cal. Veh. Code § 13558(b).
Santa Cruz County’s Superior Court has courthouses in Santa Cruz and Watsonville, but criminal cases are filed in only one of them. The court’s Criminal Division says it has jurisdiction over felonies, misdemeanors and some infractions, and that criminal cases are filed only in the Santa Cruz Division. Fine payments on traffic cases and existing payment plans for criminal cases are accepted at either Santa Cruz or Watsonville.
This page covers where a county DUI goes, what the court’s 2026 bail schedule says about it, and the collaborative courts. 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. |
Where a Santa Cruz County DUI is filed
The Santa Cruz Courthouse is at 701 Ocean Street. The criminal clerk’s office in Room 120 is open from 8am to 3pm on weekdays, and the criminal phone line, 831-420-2200, is answered from 8am to 1pm; the division also takes questions at criminalinfo@santacruzcourt.org. A drop box takes filings and payments, checks only, until 5pm, and items must be received by 5pm on the day they are due.
The Watsonville Courthouse is at 1 Second Street. The criminal page lists its clerk’s office, in Room 300, as open Tuesday to Thursday, 8am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 3pm, and closed on Mondays and Fridays.
Santa Cruz Courthouse
- Hears
- Where every criminal case in the county is filed, felony or misdemeanor
- Building
- Santa Cruz Courthouse
- Address
- 701 Ocean Street, Room 120, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
- Detail
- Criminal clerk’s office 8am to 3pm weekdays; phone line 8am to 1pm
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 3pm
- Phone
- 831-420-2200
Watsonville Courthouse
- Role
- Accepts traffic fine payments and existing criminal payment plans; criminal cases are not filed here
- Building
- Watsonville Courthouse
- Address
- 1 Second Street, Room 300, Watsonville, CA 95076
- Detail
- The criminal page lists its clerk’s office Tuesday to Thursday, 8am to 1pm and 1:30pm to 3pm
- Phone
- 831-786-7200
The court says a criminal fine can be paid online only once you have pleaded guilty and set up a payment plan. Traffic fines and existing criminal payment plans can be paid in person at either courthouse.
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 sets base bail for a misdemeanor DUI under Vehicle Code 23152 at $5,000 for a first offense, $7,500 for a second and $10,000 for a third, with separate lines labelled “HIGH BAC” at $7,500, $10,000 and $12,500. A misdemeanor DUI causing injury under section 23153 is listed at $10,000. The schedule says that when someone is booked for more than one violation from the same facts, bail is based on the highest single amount and is not accumulated, and that requests to increase a scheduled amount must go to a judge first.
The license. California gives 10 days from the notice to request a hearing from the DMV, separately from the criminal case on Ocean Street.
| 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) |
Felony DUI bail, and the collaborative courts
The felony part of the 2026 schedule lists DUI with three or more priors at $50,000, DUI causing injury at $25,000, $50,000 with one prior and $75,000 with two or more. It also lists enhancements: one prior DUI conviction under section 23560 at $10,000, two or more under section 23566 at $50,000, and multiple victims of a felony DUI under section 23558 at $25,000 per victim.
Collaborative courts. The court runs a group of specialised courts that it says aim to improve treatment outcomes and reduce recidivism, including by helping participants achieve sobriety where substance use is a factor. They include a Behavioral Health Court for people with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders, an Intensive Support Court for people granted mental health diversion, and a Veteran Court for veterans with service-related mental health and substance use issues, under Penal Code sections 1170.9 and 1001.80. Participation is voluntary, and each court publishes its own eligibility criteria.
The court’s criminal page links to the county’s DUI programs and to the Santa Cruz Volunteer Center’s community service program, and its record clearance section explains the Certificate of Rehabilitation and the Governor’s pardon.
Misdemeanor DUI bail in Santa Cruz County
From the court’s 2026 criminal bail schedule.
| Misdemeanor DUI (Vehicle Code 23152) | Base bail | “High BAC” line |
|---|---|---|
| First offense | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| Second offense | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Third offense | $10,000 | $12,500 |
The schedule labels the higher lines “HIGH BAC” without defining the reading. When a person is booked for several violations from the same facts, it says bail is based on the highest single amount, not added together.
Misdemeanors not listed in the schedule carry base bail of $1,000 with a mandatory court appearance. How these figures compare with other counties is on the DUI bail guide. The other California coast pages on this site are San Francisco and San Diego.
Common questions about Santa Cruz DUI cases
Where is a Watsonville DUI case filed?
In Santa Cruz. The court says criminal cases are filed only in the Santa Cruz Division at 701 Ocean Street; the Watsonville Courthouse accepts traffic fine payments and existing criminal payment plans.
How much is bail for a DUI in Santa Cruz County?
The 2026 schedule lists a first misdemeanor DUI at $5,000, a second at $7,500 and a third at $10,000, with "high BAC" lines at $7,500, $10,000 and $12,500.
What is bail for a felony DUI in Santa Cruz County?
DUI with three or more priors is listed at $50,000; DUI causing injury at $25,000, $50,000 with one prior and $75,000 with two or more.
Is bail added up for several charges?
No. The schedule says that when a person is booked for more than one violation from the same facts, bail is based on the highest single amount and is not accumulated.
How do I contact the Santa Cruz criminal clerk?
Call 831-420-2200 between 8am and 1pm, email criminalinfo@santacruzcourt.org, or visit Room 120 at 701 Ocean Street between 8am and 3pm.
Who decides my license suspension after a Santa Cruz DUI?
The DMV, not the court on Ocean Street. Vehicle Code 13558 gives ten days from the notice to request the 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
- 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 Santa Cruz, Criminal Division — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz, 2026 criminal bail schedules (PDF) — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz, fees and bail schedules — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz, Collaborative Courts — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Courthouse — read October 6, 2026
- Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz, Watsonville Courthouse — 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.