San Mateo County DUI Lawyer
The San Mateo County court hears criminal cases at two branches, in Redwood City and in South San Francisco.
SAN MATEO COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
Two branches, one prosecutor
The court publishes a list that places cities, and some agencies, under one of its two criminal branches. The branch named on your citation or court notice is the one that counts.
The San Mateo County District Attorney prosecutes felonies and misdemeanors throughout the county. Our published results include one DUI case at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, in 2025.
Our only office is in Los Angeles, at 3810 Wilshire Blvd.
THE COURT’S BRANCH LIST
Redwood City or South San Francisco
The court publishes this list on its page about judicial districts and geographical areas. The page does not say how every case is assigned.
Southern Branch
Hall of Justice, Redwood City
400 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063
Criminal Division: 4th floor
Phone: (650) 261-5100, option 1
- Listed places: Atherton, Belmont, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Menlo Park, Redwood City, and San Mateo.
- Criminal Division office and phone hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
- The court’s directions page lists a parking garage at 440 Middlefield Road.
Northern Branch
Northern Branch, South San Francisco
1050 Mission Road, South San Francisco, CA 94080
Court information: (650) 261-5100
- Listed places: Brisbane, Broadmoor, Burlingame, Colma, Daly City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, Pacifica, San Bruno, and South San Francisco.
- Also listed: BART and the Sheriff’s Office, including cities that contract with it for police services.
- Criminal office hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. This branch also handles traffic cases.
Check your paperwork
Where the list is unclear
The California Highway Patrol appears under both branches. So do Fish and Wildlife, the Narcotics Task Force, Parks and Recreation, and the Peninsula Humane Society.
The list puts the Sheriff’s Office and its contract cities under the Northern Branch. Yet Half Moon Bay, a Sheriff contract city, appears under the Southern Branch.
San Carlos, Woodside, and Portola Valley also use the Sheriff’s Office for police services. They are not named on either list.
In these cases, check the branch named on your citation or court notice.
REMOTE APPEARANCES
Remote appearances on criminal calendars
The court’s Criminal Remote Appearance Protocol page carries this notice: “Remote appearances are NOT authorized on Criminal Calendars.”
The notice names two exceptions, Veterans Treatment Court and Military Diversion Court.
Penal Code 977 generally allows a lawyer to appear for a defendant in a misdemeanor case. In DUI cases, the court may still require the defendant to be present at arraignment, plea, or sentencing.
If you live outside the county, ask about these dates early. Travel to Redwood City or South San Francisco may be needed.
PROSECUTOR, POLICE, AND DMV
The agencies in a case
Prosecutor
District Attorney, County of San Mateo
Main office: 500 County Center, 3rd Floor, Redwood City.
South San Francisco branch: 1050 Old Mission Road, 1st Floor.
The office also prosecutes traffic infractions and county ordinance violations.
Sheriff
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
Headquarters: 330 Bradford Street, Redwood City.
The Sheriff’s Office says it provides patrol service for more than 70% of the county, in the unincorporated areas. It also provides contract police services for Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, San Carlos, Portola Valley, Woodside, and Eichler Highlands.
City police
City police departments
Many cities in the county have their own police department. Examples are the Redwood City Police Department at 1301 Maple Street and the Daly City Police Department at 333 90th Street.
Freeways
CHP Redwood City Area
355 Convention Way, Redwood City, phone (650) 779-2700.
The CHP says this Area covers parts of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Alameda counties. Its routes include US Route 101, Interstate 280, and State Routes 1, 35, 82, 84, 85, 92, and 237.
Airport
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
The San Francisco Police Department’s Airport Bureau works with other agencies to protect travelers and employees at SFO. Its phone number is (650) 821-7111.
The court’s branch list places “Airport” cases under the Northern Branch in South San Francisco.
Your license
DMV Driver Safety
A California DMV Driver Safety hearing officer, not the court, decides the license case. The hearing does not take place at either court branch.
You have 10 days from receiving the DMV notice to ask for a hearing, and the notice is usually given at the arrest. A mailed notice allows 14 days from its date.
No Driver Safety office on the DMV’s current list is in San Mateo County. Driver Safety can be reached at (833) 543-7703 or through the DMV’s online portal. Hearings may be held remotely or in person.
ENFORCEMENT AND NUMBERS
Checkpoints and county figures
The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office announced DUI checkpoints for February 27, April 24, June 12, and August 14, 2026. It later posted results from weekend checkpoints in Woodside, San Carlos, and Millbrae.
In December 2025, it announced a checkpoint for December 12 and more enforcement during the holidays.
The DMV’s DUI-MIS report counts 1,847 DUI arrests in San Mateo County in 2021. That total includes 1,797 misdemeanor arrests, 47 felony arrests, and 3 juvenile arrests.
For 2023, the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) crash rankings list 345 people killed or injured in alcohol-involved crashes in the county. That places it 53rd of 58 counties, where 1st is the worst.
OTS says its rankings are only indicators of potential problems.
RESULT AT THE HALL OF JUSTICE
Our Redwood City case result
Our Success Stories page lists one DUI case at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, in 2025. The DUI charge was dismissed, and the client entered a plea to reckless driving with a statement that alcohol or drugs were involved. This is often called a “wet reckless” (Vehicle Code 23103.5). It is still a conviction, and it counts as a prior if a new DUI follows within 10 years.
2025
DUI charge dismissed; wet reckless plea
Allegation: 0.13 Breath
Disposition: DUI dismissed: Wet Reckless plea
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.
YOUR ATTORNEY
Your attorney for a San Mateo County case
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.
Call (213) 446-2495 any time, 24/7, for a free consultation.
20+
Years of DUI Defense Experience
2,000+
DUI Cases Handled
BEFORE YOUR FIRST COURT DATE
Common county questions
I was cited and released. How can I learn whether charges were filed?
Will I get a copy of the police report?
Does the San Mateo court offer information in Chinese?
My arrest was in the City of San Mateo. Is there a courthouse there?
Can the court remind me of my court dates?
NEIGHBORING COUNTY
Next county to the south
San Jose DUI Lawyer
Santa Clara County criminal courthouses by city (Criminal Rules 4 to 6), the DA, and SJPD checkpoints.
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
- Criminal Division (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Court judicial district and geographical areas (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Maps and directions (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Phone numbers and phone hours (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Court office hours (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Criminal Remote Appearance Protocol (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Directions and parking (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Interpreter Services (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- Court date text reminders (San Mateo County Superior Court)
- District Attorney, County of San Mateo: Overview
- District Attorney, County of San Mateo: Main office
- District Attorney, County of San Mateo: South San Francisco branch
- District Attorney, County of San Mateo: FAQs
- District Attorney, County of San Mateo: Law enforcement agencies
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: Patrol services
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: DUI checkpoint, August 14, 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: Millbrae checkpoint results, August 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: DUI checkpoint, June 12, 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: San Carlos checkpoint results, June 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: DUI checkpoint, April 24, 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: Woodside checkpoint results, April 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: DUI checkpoint, February 27, 2026
- San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office: December 12, 2025 checkpoint and holiday enforcement
- City of Redwood City: Police Department
- City of Daly City: Police
- San Francisco Police Department: Airport Bureau
- CHP Redwood City Area office (330)
- California DMV: Driver Safety Administrative Hearing Process (FFDL 26)
- California DMV: Driver Safety offices
- California DMV: Driver Safety portal
- California Vehicle Code 13558 (DMV hearing request)
- California Penal Code 977 (appearance through counsel; choose the version “Repealed as of January 1, 2032”)
- California Vehicle Code 23103.5 (wet reckless; choose the version “Repealed as of January 1, 2033”)
- California DMV: 32nd Annual DUI-MIS Report (2025)
- OTS crash rankings for San Mateo County (2023)
Arrested or charged with a DUI in San Mateo County? Talk to a lawyer now
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