DUI Defense in 2025: How California Is Cracking Down

California DUI laws have strengthened in 2025. Mandatory minimum sentences are harsher, and there are new roadside drug testing tools. To make sure you don’t end up imprisoned or facing stiff financial penalties after a DUI charge, make sure to reach out to a talented DUI lawyer to get help building your legal defense.

Before 2025, California DUI laws were already some of the most stringent in the country. Now, additional changes have made these laws even tougher.

• License Suspensions: If you are a repeat offender, you could face longer license suspensions for your second and third offense. For example, a second DUI offense can result in up to a two-year suspension. A DUI conviction is counted as an additional offense if it happened within the last 10 years.
• Legal Limits for Rideshare Drivers: Another major transformation in 2025 is for rideshare drivers. Previously, rideshare drivers weren’t held to the 0.04% blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that commercial drivers had to meet. Now, this has been changed so that rideshare drivers must have a BAC of less than 0.04%. For non-rideshare drivers, the legal limit remains 0.08%. If you are under 21, you can get a DUI for having any amount of alcohol in your blood.
• Roadside Drug Testing Options: This year, there will be new tools used for roadside tests. These tools can be used to test for alcohol, opioids, marijuana, and other drugs.
• Alcohol Education: Anyone who is convicted of a DUI in 2025 will be required to attend an alcohol education program. This is true for everyone, including first-time offenders.
• Test Refusals: If you won’t acquiesce to a mandatory alcohol test, implied consent laws have become stronger. Your license will become suspended immediately.
• Ignition Interlock Devices: If you receive probation following a DUI, you will most likely need to get an ignition interlock device. In order to start your vehicle, you’ll need to use the device. If you’ve consumed any alcohol, the device will shut your car off automatically.
• Increased Mandatory Prison Time: If you are sentenced for a third DUI offense in 10 years, you will be given a jail sentence of at least 120 days. In the past, the jail sentence was only 90 days.

These laws increase the consequences of drinking, which is why you need the help of a skilled California DUI defense attorney.

If you are pulled over because a law enforcement officer thinks you’ve been drinking, the odds of getting DUI dropped can vary significantly based on the circumstances. You can talk to your lawyer about the best options for your case. The following DUI defense strategies are a few of the options you could use to fight your case in court.

• Point out that there was a lack of probable cause for the stop.
• Demonstrate that the field sobriety test wasn’t accurate.
• Show the field sobriety test wasn’t administered correctly.
• Challenge the blood or breath test results based on your BAC continuing to rise after you were stopped.
• Use medical conditions to show how the results may have been skewed.
• Demonstrate a chain of custody issue.
• Use the necessity defense to show that you had to drive under the influence because not doing so during the emergency would have caused more harm.

In 2025, major changes have come to California DUI laws. If you are pulled over after drinking or using drugs, it can significantly impact your life. Thanks to changes to sentencing, you can end up with 120 days or more in jail after a third sentence. Most sentences will now involve an ignition interlock device as well.

Because of the serious consequences involved, it’s important to get the best legal help possible. To learn more about the best defense for your DUI, contact us today.