California DMV-Approved DUI Classes: Length, Costs, and Enrollment

DUI classes approved by the California DMV are the alcohol and drug education programs licensed by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). Only a program that appears in the DHCS statewide directory will produce a completion certificate the DMV accepts for license reinstatement, and the directory lives on the DHCS website at dhcs.ca.gov, organized by county with addresses, phone numbers, and fee schedules.¹

How to Confirm a Program Is DMV-Approved

Check the DHCS directory before you pay anyone. If the provider isn’t on that list, the DMV will not honor a completion certificate no matter what the program’s website claims.² Out-of-state programs and internet-only programs do not qualify. The class must be physically located in California, and the court will order you to enroll in one in your county of residence or employment.³

A separate spreadsheet on the DHCS site lists each licensed provider’s fees, broken out by program length and ancillary charges.⁴ Compare a few providers in your county before enrolling; the base fee and the smaller charges for missed sessions, late payments, and transfers vary noticeably from one program to the next.

Which Class Length You’ll Need

Your required class is set by the offense, your blood alcohol concentration at arrest, and any prior DUI convictions within the past ten years. The court’s sentencing order and the DMV’s suspension notice both name the program you need.

Wet reckless (Vehicle Code 23103.5): a 12-hour education program, usually six weekly two-hour sessions. This is the shortest class California offers and applies only when a DUI is reduced to a wet reckless plea.
First DUI, BAC under 0.20%: a three-month program with at least 30 hours of education and counseling.³
First DUI, BAC of 0.20% or higher, or a chemical test refusal: a nine-month program with at least 60 hours of activity.³
Second DUI within ten years: an 18-month Multiple Offender Program requiring 52 hours of group counseling, 12 hours of education, 6 hours of community reentry monitoring, and biweekly individual interviews during the first 12 months.⁵
Third or subsequent DUI: in counties that offer it, a 30-month program with 78 hours of group counseling, 12 hours of education, 120 to 300 hours of community service, and regular individual interviews.⁵

Courts generally expect you to enroll promptly after sentencing. The exact deadline sits in your sentencing paperwork, but many counties require enrollment within 21 to 30 days of your court appearance, and missing that window can trigger a bench warrant.

What Enrollment Costs

Every licensed provider sets its own fees inside a framework published by DHCS. Based on the state fee schedule, three-month programs typically cost between roughly $660 and $820, 18-month programs run around $1,980 to $2,100, and the 30-month program can reach $3,000 where available.⁴

Enrollment begins with an intake interview. The program reviews your court documents and DMV notice, confirms which class length applies, and has you sign a participant contract and payment agreement. You then receive a Proof of Enrollment Certificate (Form DL 107), which you’ll need for both the court and the DMV.⁶ Keep your copy. You cannot apply for a restricted license without it.

If You Can’t Afford the Full Fee

Every licensed DUI program in California must offer financial assistance. You have the right to request a financial assessment in writing, and the program must complete it within five days of your request.⁷ The program cannot make you enroll before the assessment is done.

Depending on your income, the assessment can qualify you for a reduced fee as low as $5.00 per month or an extended payment plan spread across the full length of the program.⁸ Programs must also post a notice about financial assessments where participants and the public can see it. If a provider tells you the option doesn’t exist, treat that as a warning about the program itself.

Driving While You Complete the Class

You don’t have to wait for the program to end before you can drive again. California offers two restricted licenses during a first-offense suspension, and both require proof of DUI program enrollment.

Employment and treatment restriction: after serving 30 days of your four-month suspension, you can apply for a license limited to driving to, from, and during work, and to and from your DUI program. You’ll need the DL 107, an SR-22 insurance certificate, and a $125 Administrative Per Se fee.⁹
IID restricted license: you can apply immediately with no waiting period by installing an ignition interlock device, which lets you drive anywhere as long as the vehicle has a functioning IID. You’ll need the DL 107, an SR-22, proof of IID installation (Form DL 920), and the same $125 fee.⁹

For repeat offenses, the suspension and revocation periods run longer. A second conviction carries a two-year suspension and a third triggers a three-year revocation, with restricted license options set by your sentencing court and the DMV based on the case.¹⁰

How Completion Reaches the DMV

When you finish all class activities and pay your fees in full, the provider issues a Notice of Completion Certificate (Form DL 101) and submits the original directly to the DMV’s Mandatory Actions Unit within ten days.¹¹ You don’t file it yourself. The program also sends a copy to the court or your probation officer, and gives you a participant copy for your records.

Once the DMV has the DL 101, it lifts the program completion hold on your license. You then pay a $55 DUI reissue fee and, if applicable, a $15 restriction fee to restore your full driving privilege.¹²

What Happens If You Stop Going

Skipped sessions and dropouts trigger a Notice of Non-Compliance (Form DL 101A), which the program is required to file with the DMV. That filing re-suspends or revokes your driving privilege.¹³ The court is notified too, and the judge is required to revoke your probation for failure to enroll in, participate in, or complete the class, absent good cause.³

A probation revocation can mean jail time on the original DUI, and your license stays suspended with no path forward until you re-enroll and start the program over. If you’re struggling to attend, talk to the program coordinator about a leave of absence before you stop showing up. Most programs charge a fee for it, often $35 to $65 based on published fee schedules, which is far cheaper than restarting.

If You Live Outside California

Out-of-state residents convicted of a California DUI are not expected to complete an in-state class indefinitely. Under Vehicle Code 13353.5, the DMV can terminate your California suspension or revocation once the full suspension period has elapsed, letting you apply for a license in your home state without finishing a California program.²

To qualify, every suspension and revocation on your California record must have expired, any court-ordered or IID restrictions must no longer be in effect, and all administrative service fees must be paid. You submit an Application for Termination of Action (Form DL 4006) with proof of out-of-state residency to the DMV’s Mandatory Actions Unit.² Your home state will likely learn about the California conviction through the Driver License Compact, and most states treat an out-of-state DUI as if it happened locally, so expect program requirements and license sanctions in your home state on top of anything California imposes.

1
DHCS – CA.gov. DUI Program Licensing
2
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Termination of Action for Out-of-State Residents
3
California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 23538
4
DHCS – CA.gov. DUI Program Fees
5
DHCS – CA.gov. Driving-Under-the-Influence Programs
6
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. California Code of Regulations Title 9, Section 9868 – Proof of Enrollment Certificates
7
Cornell Law School. California Code of Regulations Title 9, Section 9879 – Financial Assessment to Determine Participants Ability to Pay Program Fees
8
Cornell Law School. California Code of Regulations Title 9, Section 9878
9
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. DUI First Offenders Alcohol Involved Non-Injury 21 and Older
10
California Legislative Information. California Code VEH Division 6 Chapter 2 Article 3 Section 13352-a
11
Cornell Law School. California Code of Regulations Title 9, Section 9867 – Notice of Completion Certificates
12
State of California Department of Motor Vehicles. Licensing Fees
13
Cornell Law School. California Code of Regulations Title 13, Section 120.03 – Notice of Non-Compliance