Does a DUI in California go on my criminal record?

The state of California considers a DUI California conviction to be a criminal offense, specifically a misdemeanor. Aside from the penalties that come with the conviction, the charge will go onto both the offender's criminal record and his or her driving record. If the DUI resulted in a serious situation, such as an accident that caused serious injury or fatality, the misdemeanor charge may be raised to a felony, and penalties will increase subsequently.

A DUI conviction will stay on your California driving record, typically for ten years. It may remain on your criminal record indefinitely. It is not possible to get the charge removed from your driving record any sooner than the 10-year mark, but it may be possible to get it expunged from your criminal record. If you have had a clean record since the incident, and if at least a year has passed (either from the conviction or from the end of a parole sentence due to the conviction), you may be able to petition the court to have the record expunged. Note that this is probably not possible if you served jail time for the offense. Also note that expunging the record does not erase it entirely; it will still be visible to law enforcement and various other officials, although it will not be visible to employers, creditors, and others who pull a basic background check on you.

In order to try to keep your criminal record clear, you should consult with a lawyer as soon as possible after you are charged with a DUI so you can find out if you have any options for a plea bargain or DUI defense.