Drinking and Driving in Southern California
Likely, you are visiting this webpage because someone you know has been arrested for drinking and driving in Southern California. I’m sorry that you are in this position. We can help with a DUI bail bond throughout Southern California including Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego County and Ventura. You can call me 24/7 at 1-800-598-BAIL (2245) or call 1-888-598-5288.
DUI Charges in California
Like me, you may remember the days when an officer would stop someone who had been drinking and driving and send them on their way with the warning to go straight home or not drink anymore tonight. Those days have changed for good reason. When I was in high school, a group of students had an accident and one girl died after having received such a “warning”.
California is one of the nation’s top states for strict laws against DUI. Also known as DWI, “driving under the influence”, “driving while intoxicated”, “wet and reckless” or “502”, the laws for a DUI punishes offenders for driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated with alcohol and/or using other drugs. These strong California DUI laws have helped to decrease the number of drinking and driving accidents and fatalities.
DUI Bail Amounts
In my experience as a bondsman, when a person is arrested for drinking and driving and DUIs, jails usually hold the arrestee for a few hours, then release them on their Own Recognizance (“OR”) or on Citation (please see my page on Jail Release Options for more information).
In Southern California, a bail bond generally becomes necessary for a DUI when one or more of the following is present:
- incidences involving accidents, with or without injury
- arrestees who are rude or violent with the arresting officer
- multiple drinking and driving offenses
- driving to endanger at “excessive speed” (30 mph above the lawful freeway speed or 20 mph above the lawful speed on other roadways)
- drivers under the age of 18
- driving with a minor passenger in the vehicle
- multiple victims (other than the driver).
- hit and run
- vehicular manslaughter
If none of these apply to you, you would be advised to forgo initiating a bail bond. Otherwise it is likely that we will begin the bail bond process and then the arrestee will be released before it is completed.
It should be noted that there are certain jurisdictions which will not automatically “OR” a DUI arrestee. You can find this out quickest by contacting the jail and asking their usual procedure with DUI. Do not ask them about the particular defendant because they generally will not give you a direct answer.
When bail is required, each jurisdiction will have different bail schedules and the bail will be elevated based on the severity of the incident. We have seen DUI bail in Southern California range from $15,000 for a basic DUI, $100,000 for accidents with injury and $250,000 and more for vehicular manslaughter (accident with death) while intoxicated.
Paying for a Bail Bond
The fee for a bail bond in California is 10% of the total bail, and you will not find any hidden charges. The fee is usually paid in advance of bailing someone out of jail. Most of my clients pay for a bail bond using a major credit card. I accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card. I also accept cash.
If you qualify, payment arrangements may be made. Generally, I will offer payment plans if you have good credit and/or are a home owner. Additionally, I generally require a significant portion of the fee in advance. Please call me at 1-800-598-BAIL (2245) or call 1-888-598-5288 to see what solutions we can arrange for your situation.
Bail Bond Information
On this page We have covered some basic bail bond information. If you are considering bailing someone out of jail on dui charges, you may find the following pages helpful:
- The Arrest Process
- Options for Release from Jail
- Responsibilities should you purchase a bail bond
- Frequently Asked Questions about Bail Bonds