California’s Drinking Driver Program (Alcohol School)
As part of the punishment for a Ventura DUI conviction, you will generally be required to pay to attend California’s Drinking Driver Program (also referred to as “alcohol school”). The requirement to complete the Drinking Driver Program is actually not imposed by the court. Rather, completion of the program is mandated by the California DMV as a condition to getting back your driver’s license. As a result, if you lose your license and want to get restore your right to drive, the Drinking Driver Program is unavoidable.
ALCOHOL SCHOOL FOR FIRST-TIME VENTURA DUIS
For a first-time DUI, if your BAC was below 0.20% you will typically be required to participate in a three-month Drinking Driver Program, attending classes approximately once per week. Classes are scheduled Monday through Friday, and both morning and evening time slots are available. The cost for the three-month program is around $1,000. If your BAC was 0.20% or above (or in some cases 0.15% or above), you will be required to attend either a six or nine-month version of the program, both of which are more expensive. Again, attendance is required approximately once per week, and both morning and evening classes are available Monday through Friday.
ALCOHOL SCHOOL FOR SECOND AND THIRD VENTURA DUIS
If you are convicted of a second or third Ventura DUI within any ten-year period, you will need to complete the eighteen-month Drinking Driver Program. The cost for this program is over $2,500. In addition to attending regular classes, with the eighteen-month program you are also required to participate in numerous interviews and re-entry sessions.
For more information about the Drinking Driver Program, as administered by the National Traffic Safety Institute (NTSI), please click here.
OBTAINING A RESTRICTED DRIVER’S LICENSE AND COMPLETING THE PROGRAM
Enrollment in the Drinking Driver Program is a prerequisite for applying for a restricted driver’s license (and, regardless, you must enroll in the program within five days of the resolution of your case). A restricted license will allow you to drive to work, school, and alcohol school during your period of suspension. This is especially important if you did not timely request a DMV hearing following your arrest, or if you were unsuccessful in protecting your license during the hearing.
At Strongest Defense, we can help you apply for a restricted license. If you were convicted in Ventura County but would like to attend alcohol school elsewhere, we can also help you seek alternative placement for your Drinking Driver Program.
Finally, once you complete your Drinking Driver Program, we can make sure that the court is promptly notified that you satisfied your obligation. In addition to preventing you from regaining your driver’s license, failure to complete alcohol school is also a violation of probation, so you need to make sure that all of the necessary paperwork gets properly filed.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the California Drinking Driver Program, or to seek legal representation for your Ventura DUI, contact Strongest Defense today.
