A fourth DUI within a 10-year period is a felony in California, even if no one was hurt and even if your first three were all misdemeanors. That single fact changes everything about the case.
The exposure is severe. A felony fourth DUI can carry state prison time, a four-year license revocation, large fines, and a permanent felony record that follows you into jobs, housing, and gun rights. You'll also be looking at a longer probation period, extended DUI school, and mandatory alcohol treatment. Courts treat repeat offenses as a pattern, and the sympathy is thin.
The 10-year window, sometimes called the washout period, is measured from the dates of the offenses. If a prior conviction falls outside that window, it may not count toward making this one a felony, which is one of the first things worth checking. Prior convictions from other states can also come into play, and whether they truly qualify is not always straightforward.
Even on a fourth offense, a felony filing isn't the same as a felony conviction. The stop, the arrest, and the reliability of the chemical test are all still fair game. Getting the priors counted correctly and attacking the current evidence can sometimes change the whole picture.
Read more on the felony DUI page and the third DUI page.
This is general information, not legal advice, and every case is different. For a free consultation, call (858) 622-7280 or visit /contact.