Sacramento DUI Lawyer
Since April 2026, the Sacramento Superior Court has heard DUI cases in its new courthouse at 500 G Street.
DUI DEFENSE FOR SACRAMENTO COUNTY ARRESTS
What changed at the Sacramento court in 2026
In April 2026, the court moved its criminal operations into the new Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse in the Railyards. The new building replaced the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse. The court lists DUI cases and arraignments among the matters heard there.
The court lists only two criminal court locations for the whole county, and both are downtown. So an arrest in Elk Grove, Folsom, Citrus Heights, or Rancho Cordova is generally handled downtown as well. The date and place on your citation or release papers are the ones that count.
Our published results include four DMV matters recorded under the Sacramento Driver Safety office, from 2025 to 2026. Our only office is in Los Angeles, at 3810 Wilshire Blvd.
COURT, PROSECUTOR, AND POLICE
Where each part of the case is handled
The court and the prosecutor are generally the same for any DUI arrest in the county. The arresting agency depends on where the stop happened.
Main criminal courthouse
Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse
Operated by the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento
500 G St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Criminal division phone: (916) 874-5522, Option 1
- The building is open 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except court holidays.
- Criminal services, including the phone line, are available 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on court days.
- There is one public entrance, with security screening.
- Courtroom names show the floor and the side of the building. For example, 3A is on the west side of the third floor.
- Street parking is metered and paid with the ParkMobile app or at card-only pay stations. Public lots include the county lot at 725 7th Street and the City Hall Garage at 10th and I Streets.
Second criminal location
Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice
651 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
This building also holds the Sacramento County Main Jail. The court lists it, together with the new courthouse, as its two criminal court locations.
Its business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. on court days.
Prosecutor
District Attorney’s Office
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office is at 901 G Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
The District Attorney (DA) prosecutes DUI cases in the county. Grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), announced in 2023 and 2024, fund a DA prosecutor for misdemeanor DUI cases, including drug DUI cases.
The Sacramento City Attorney’s criminal unit prosecutes violations of the City Code. A DUI charge comes under the state Vehicle Code instead.
Local police
Police Department and Sheriff
Sacramento Police Department officers usually make the DUI arrests on city streets. The public counter at its headquarters, 5770 Freeport Blvd., handles report requests and towed-vehicle releases. It is open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, phone (916) 808-0620.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is at 4500 Orange Grove Avenue. The Sheriff’s Office lists the Rancho Cordova Police Department together with its East Division.
Your license
DMV Driver Safety
The license case is separate from the court case. A DMV Driver Safety hearing officer decides it, not a judge.
To have a hearing before the suspension takes effect, request it within 10 days of receiving the DMV notice. The notice is usually handed over at the arrest.
The DMV’s hearing guide (revised April 2026) lists a Sacramento Driver Safety office, but it gives no street address. You can reach Driver Safety at (833) 543-7703 or through the DMV’s online Driver Safety portal. Hearings may be held remotely or in person.
AFTER THE ARREST
From release to the first court date
These steps follow the court’s 2026 schedule changes. The license case is in the DMV Driver Safety card above.
AT RELEASE
Check your papers
Your citation or release papers usually show the date, time, and department of your first court date. If the officer took your California license, the order of suspension usually also serves as a temporary license for 30 days from the arrest.
BEFORE COURT
Find the case online
The court started a new criminal case management system on August 10, 2026. Criminal case information is on its Criminal Case Portal, which is linked from the court’s Criminal Division page.
FIRST COURT DATE
A 1:30 p.m. arraignment
Downtown night court arraignments ended on April 27, 2026. First-time arraignments are now heard at 1:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, in the court’s home court departments. These are the courtrooms that handle pretrial matters. At the arraignment, the judge explains the charges and your rights, and a plea is entered.
IF A DATE IS MISSED
Warrants
If you miss a court date, the judge may issue a bench warrant. The court’s FAQ says the Sheriff’s Office at 4510 Orange Grove Avenue clears warrants and may be able to give a new court date. The court also tells people to contact their attorney.
FREEWAY ARRESTS
The CHP Area offices in the county
On state freeways and many unincorporated roads, DUI arrests are usually made by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). The CHP lists weekday hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for each office below.
CHP
South Sacramento Area
6 Massie Court, Sacramento, CA 95823
Phone: (916) 897-5600
The CHP says this office patrols parts of Interstate 5, State Route 99, U.S. Highway 50, and Business 80. It also covers about 500 miles of unincorporated county roads.
CHP
North Sacramento Area
5109 Tyler Street, Sacramento, CA 95841
Phone: (916) 348-2300
The CHP says this office covers northern Sacramento County. Its main routes include Interstate 5, Interstate 80, State Route 51 (Business 80), State Route 160, and State Route 99.
CHP
East Sacramento Area
11336 Trade Center Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742
Phone: (916) 464-1450
The CHP says this office patrols about 22 miles of U.S. Highway 50 and unincorporated areas east of Watt Avenue. Communities it names include Fair Oaks, Orangevale, Gold River, and Rancho Murieta.
LOCAL NUMBERS
What state records show for Sacramento
In 2021, Sacramento County had 3,484 DUI arrests (DMV DUI-MIS report). That was 0.3 arrests per 100 licensed drivers, below the statewide rate of 0.4.
In a 2023 announcement, the District Attorney said it filed more than 9,200 DUI or drug DUI charges in 2022.
In the 2023 OTS crash rankings, the City of Sacramento ranked first of 15 California cities with more than 250,000 people for alcohol-involved crash victims. In these rankings, first means the highest. The count was 454 people killed or injured. OTS says its rankings are only indicators of potential problems.
The Sacramento Police Department announced a DUI checkpoint for August 14, 2026, funded by an OTS grant. The city said checkpoint locations are chosen using data on impaired-driving crashes.
DMV RESULTS
Results recorded under the Sacramento Driver Safety office
Four of the DMV cases on our Success Stories page, from 2025 to 2026, are recorded in our files under the Sacramento Driver Safety office. In each one, the DMV hearing officer set aside the DMV action against the driver’s license. A set-aside is a DMV license decision, not a result in court. One of the four was a reexamination hearing, not a DUI suspension hearing. “PAS” means the roadside preliminary alcohol screening test.
2026
DMV action set aside
DMV office (our records): Sacramento
DMV Allegation: Reexamination Hearing per DS-427
Ruling: DMV Set Aside
DMV action set aside
DMV office (our records): Sacramento
DMV Allegation: 0.08 Breath
Ruling: DMV Set Aside
2025
DMV action set aside
DMV office (our records): Sacramento
DMV Allegation: 0.19 PAS
Ruling: DMV Set Aside
DMV action set aside
DMV office (our records): Sacramento
DMV Allegation: 0.11 PAS
Ruling: DMV Set Aside
The results described above were dependent on the facts of each case. Results will differ if based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
ATTORNEY JEFF YEH
Talk with Jeff Yeh about the next steps
Attorney Jeff Yeh focuses his practice on DUI defense and DMV hearings. He stays responsible for your case from start to finish, working with experienced co-counsel when a case calls for it.
Attorney Jeff Yeh speaks English and Mandarin Chinese, along with basic Japanese and Korean; a Japanese-speaking secretary and a Korean interpreter can help when needed.
Call (213) 446-2495 any time, 24/7, for a free consultation.
20+
Years of DUI Defense Experience
2,000+
DUI Cases Handled
SACRAMENTO QUESTIONS
Sacramento County court questions
An older paper names the Gordon D. Schaber Courthouse. Where do I go now?
Does the Carol Miller Justice Center hear DUI cases?
What does the county crime lab do in a DUI case?
How do I ask for a court interpreter in Sacramento?
Is there a treatment court for repeat DUI cases here?
My case is in Sacramento, but your office is in Los Angeles. How does that work?
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
More location pages
Fresno DUI Lawyer
Criminal cases at the Downtown Courthouse, 1100 Van Ness Ave.; the Fresno DMV hearing office closed in 2024.
San Jose DUI Lawyer
Santa Clara County criminal courthouses by city (Criminal Rules 4 to 6), the DA, and SJPD checkpoints.
San Mateo County DUI Lawyer
Court branches in Redwood City and South San Francisco, and the court’s no-remote rule for criminal calendars.
RELATED DUI DEFENSE
DMV Hearing
Ask for a hearing within 10 days of receiving the DMV notice, which is usually given at the arrest.
Alcohol DUI
Breath and blood test cases under Vehicle Code 23152(a) and (b).
Felony DUI
DUI charges that can be filed as felonies, such as some injury cases and some repeat offenses.
ABOUT THIS PAGE
Prepared by the Law Office of Jeff Yeh (Attorney Jeff Yeh, State Bar of California No. 240430), 3810 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.
Last updated: September 29, 2026. The local facts on this page were checked against the official sources listed here on that date.
Reviewed by Attorney Jeff Yeh on October 6, 2026.
This page is general information about California DUI cases, not legal advice for your situation. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Court locations, phone numbers, and procedures can change. Check the official sources listed here or call us.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
- saccourt.ca.gov: Criminal Division
- saccourt.ca.gov: Court locations
- saccourt.ca.gov: Tani G. Cantil-Sakauye Sacramento County Courthouse
- saccourt.ca.gov: Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice
- saccourt.ca.gov: Carol Miller Justice Center
- saccourt.ca.gov: New courthouse announcement (March 5, 2026)
- saccourt.ca.gov: Night court arraignments end (April 7, 2026)
- saccourt.ca.gov: Criminal FAQs
- saccourt.ca.gov: Interpreter Services
- saccourt.ca.gov: Remote Appearances
- sacda.org: Contact
- sacda.org: OTS grant for DUI and DUID prosecution (November 2024)
- sacda.org: OTS grant for DUI and DUID prosecution (November 2023)
- sacda.org: DUI Treatment Court
- sacda.org: About the crime lab
- sacda.org: Blood and breath alcohol
- cityofsacramento.gov: City Attorney’s Office divisions
- cityofsacramento.gov: Police facilities
- sacramentocityexpress.com (City news): DUI checkpoint, August 14, 2026
- sacsheriff.com: Contact
- sacsheriff.com: East Division and Rancho Cordova Police
- chp.ca.gov: South Sacramento Area office
- chp.ca.gov: North Sacramento Area office
- chp.ca.gov: East Sacramento Area office
- California DMV: Driver Safety Administrative Hearing Process (FFDL 26, revised April 2026)
- California DMV: Driver Safety case management portal
- California DMV: Driving under the influence
- California DMV: 32nd DUI-MIS Annual Report (2021 arrests)
- ots.ca.gov: 2023 crash rankings, City of Sacramento
- California Vehicle Code 13558 (DMV hearing request)
- California Penal Code 977 (choose the version “Repealed as of January 1, 2032”)
Arrested or charged with a DUI in Sacramento? Talk to a lawyer now
Free consultation by phone or text, 24/7.
