duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The City of Bellevue contracts with King County District Court for court services instead of running a municipal court.
- The city’s Criminal Prosecution Division brings misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases; felonies go to the King County Prosecutor.
- Public defender screening is by phone, online, or in person Monday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm at the courthouse.
- Bellevue Probation runs electronic home detention, including pretrial alcohol monitoring by transdermal and breath testing.
- For eligible participants, work crew hours can count toward community service, or in place of jail, if the court or prosecutor authorizes it.
- 7 days and $375 to request the license hearing.
from the date you were served with the notice to demand a hearing from Washington State Department of Licensing. The request goes to the department, not to the court, and no judge in King County will make it for you. RCW 46.20.308(7).
Bellevue’s City Attorney answers the question most people ask first: why is a Bellevue case heard in King County District Court? Because the City of Bellevue does not have a municipal court. Under state law a city may run its own court or contract with another jurisdiction, and Bellevue contracts with the District Court, whose Bellevue Division at 1309 114th Ave. S.E. provides municipal court services for Bellevue and Beaux Arts.
The city still does the rest: it prosecutes, it screens for public defenders, and it runs the probation division that supervises sentences and pretrial monitoring. Washington’s penalties, the seven-year window and deferred prosecution are on the Washington 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 Bellevue DUI is heard
King County District Court’s Bellevue Division is at 1309 114th Ave. S.E., Suite 100, telephone 206-205-9200. The city’s probation division, Bellevue Probation Services, is upstairs in Suite 200. The City Attorney notes that only misdemeanor cases are handled by the District Court; felonies and juvenile cases go to the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
King County District Court, Bellevue Division
- Hears
- Misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors charged by the City of Bellevue, under contract with the city
- Building
- Bellevue courthouse, Suite 100
- Address
- 1309 114th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, WA 98004
- Detail
- The court lists municipal court services for Bellevue and Beaux Arts at this location
- Phone
- 206-205-9200
- Why it matters
- Public defender screening is held here in person, Monday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm.
Bellevue Probation Services
- Role
- Supervises adult misdemeanor referrals from the Bellevue Division; runs electronic home detention
- Building
- Suite 200, in the same courthouse building
- Address
- 1309 114th Ave. S.E., Suite 200, Bellevue, WA 98004
- Phone
- 425-452-6956
The city says anyone charged with a crime who cannot afford a lawyer may qualify, and that you must be interviewed to find out: by phone at 425-647-2412, Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm; online, with the indigency screening form; or in person Monday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm, at the Bellevue Division, bringing picture ID, your case information and the completed form. The city charges a recoupment fee for public defender services, separate from any court fine.
The City Attorney adds that a District Court warrant can be quashed at any district court location in King County, by calling the court to arrange it.
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 license clock, and monitoring before trial
The license. The arrest notice gives a temporary license valid for thirty days, and a window of 7 days to request a hearing from the department, with a $375 fee. That request goes to the Department of Licensing, which the City Attorney notes has an office in Bellevue at 13133 Bel-Red Road.
Pretrial monitoring. Bellevue Probation describes its electronic home detention program as an alternative to jail for participants referred by the court, and says it serves several functions: pretrial alcohol monitoring through transdermal alcohol detection and breath testing, and traditional home detention with or without GPS. Participants are subject to random urinalysis and breath tests, and daily fees apply. Fees are paid to Bellevue Probation Services by mail, by card over the phone, or in person at Suite 200.
| What happened | First time | After a prior administrative action in 7 years | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test at 0.08 or more | 90 days, unless in a pretrial 24/7 sobriety program | 2 years | RCW 46.20.3101(2) |
| Refused the test | 1 year | 2 years, or to age 21 if longer | RCW 46.20.3101(1) |
What Bellevue Probation offers
The probation division accepts adult misdemeanor referrals from the Bellevue Division to monitor court-ordered obligations, using what it calls a risk-needs-responsive model. It says its classes and program offerings are provided at no cost to the client, though it lists daily fees for electronic home detention. The programs include electronic home monitoring, a license support program, the Gateway program for clients during court-ordered or home detention terms, and the Bellevue Work Crew.
Work crew. The city describes the work crew as an alternative way to meet court-related obligations. Hours count toward probation fees and program costs, and, if the court or the prosecutor authorizes it, toward community service, mandatory conditions of a case, or in lieu of jail or sanctions. Referrals come from the Bellevue and Redmond divisions of the District Court and from probation officers.
Community service against fees. Community service done at a non-profit in Bellevue can also be credited against probation fees at $20 an hour, on a signed agreement. The statewide sentences these programs sit under are on the Washington page.
DUI cases on the Eastside
King County District Court lists, for each courthouse, the cities it provides municipal court services to.
| Where and what | County | Where the case goes |
|---|---|---|
| A DUI in Bellevue or Beaux Arts | King | King County District Court, Bellevue Division |
| A DUI in Carnation or Sammamish | King | King County District Court, Issaquah courthouse |
| A felony DUI | King | Charged by the King County Prosecutor’s Office, not heard in District Court |
Bellevue’s City Attorney says a warrant from the District Court can be quashed at any district court location in King County.
The Bellevue Division’s entry lists municipal court services for Bellevue and Beaux Arts; the Issaquah courthouse lists Carnation and Sammamish. The other Washington pages on this site are Seattle and Tacoma.
Common questions about Bellevue DUI cases
Does Bellevue have a municipal court?
No. The City Attorney states that Bellevue contracts with King County District Court for court services, so Bellevue cases are heard at the District Court's Bellevue Division, 1309 114th Ave. S.E., Suite 100.
Who prosecutes a DUI in Bellevue?
The Bellevue City Attorney's Criminal Prosecution Division, which prosecutes misdemeanors, gross misdemeanors and traffic infractions occurring in Bellevue. Felonies are handled by the King County Prosecutor's Office.
How do I get a public defender for a Bellevue DUI?
Call 425-647-2412 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm), submit the online indigency screening form, or go in person Monday to Thursday, 9am to 1pm, to the Bellevue Division with picture ID, your case information and the completed form.
Can I be on alcohol monitoring instead of in jail before a Bellevue DUI trial?
Bellevue Probation's electronic home detention program, for participants referred by the court, includes pretrial alcohol monitoring by transdermal detection and breath testing. Daily fees apply.
Can work crew replace jail in Bellevue?
The city says work crew hours may be applied in lieu of jail sentences or sanctions if the court or prosecutor authorizes it, and otherwise count toward probation fees and program costs.
How long do I have to request a DOL hearing?
Seven days after the notice is given, in writing, with a $375 fee. The temporary license lasts thirty days, but the request deadline is seven.
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More for Washington
- Washington DUI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- Seattle and King County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Tacoma and Pierce County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Bellingham and Whatcom 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 Washington suspension — what the filing certifies and how long it runs
- Ignition interlock providers and costs in Washington — what the device costs and who installs it
Sources
- City of Bellevue, City Attorney’s Office, Criminal Prosecution Division — read October 1, 2026
- City of Bellevue, apply for a public defender — read October 1, 2026
- City of Bellevue, Probation — read October 1, 2026
- City of Bellevue, Probation services and programs — read October 1, 2026
- City of Bellevue, probation and electronic home detention fees — read October 1, 2026
- King County District Court, locations — read October 1, 2026
- RCW 46.61.502(1)(a) and the rest of the Washington 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 1, 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.