{"id":5615,"date":"2026-09-28T07:08:07","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ticketclinic.com\/blog\/\/"},"modified":"2026-09-28T07:14:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:14:42","slug":"california-just-toughened-its-dui-laws-what-drivers-need-to-know-for-2027","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ticketclinic.com\/es\/blog\/california-just-toughened-its-dui-laws-what-drivers-need-to-know-for-2027\/","title":{"rendered":"California Just Toughened Its DUI Laws: What Drivers Need to Know for 2027"},"content":{"rendered":"

California has signed a package of four laws aimed largely at repeat DUI offenses. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the bills on September 25, 2026. For drivers, the key distinction is when each change takes effect<\/strong>: the new repeat-offense penalties and Braun\u2019s Law are expected to apply in 2027, while two DMV changes are expressly delayed until January 1, 2031<\/strong>. Governor of California<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is what the new laws do and what someone facing a California DUI charge should understand now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A third DUI within 10 years can carry a felony charge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Assembly Bill 1546<\/strong> increases the potential punishment for repeat DUI offenses. Under the new law, a driver charged with a third qualifying DUI within 10 years may face a charge that prosecutors can pursue as either a misdemeanor or a felony. That does not mean every third DUI automatically becomes a felony. The prior convictions, dates, current charge, and facts of the case matter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The practical takeaway: If you have prior DUI or qualifying \u201cwet reckless\u201d convictions, tell your attorney about a<\/strong>ll<\/strong> of them immediately, including cases from other counties. A prior case can change the stakes of a new arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Braun\u2019s Law addresses DUI charges reduced to lesser offenses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Senate Bill 907<\/strong>, known as Braun\u2019s Law<\/em>, is named for Braun Levi, an 18-year-old who was killed in Manhattan Beach in 2025 by a suspected repeat impaired driver. One provision requires a court to give a warning about the potentially deadly consequences of impaired driving when a defendant pleads guilty or no contest to a lesser offense in place of an alleged DUI. The bill also increases potential penalties for certain injury or fatal hit-and-run offenses when the driver has a qualifying prior driving conviction within 10 years. Governor of California<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A reduced DUI charge should never be mistaken for a consequence-free result. The exact terms of a plea, its effect on the driving record, and how it may be treated in a future case all deserve careful review before a driver accepts it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two other signed changes are scheduled for 2031<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The remaining bills are part of the same 2026 package, but their new provisions are not scheduled to operate in 2027:<\/p>\n\n\n\n