The 10-day rule means you have only ten calendar days from the date of your DUI arrest to request a hearing with the California DMV. If you miss that window, the DMV suspends your license automatically, and you lose the chance to fight that suspension.
This deadline is separate from your court case. When you are arrested for a DUI, the officer usually takes your physical license and hands you a pink temporary license that also serves as a notice of suspension. That temporary license is good for about thirty days, but the ten-day clock to demand a hearing starts on the day of arrest.
Requesting the hearing does two things. It challenges the DMV suspension, and it can put a hold on the suspension until the hearing takes place, so you may keep driving in the meantime. Skip the request and you give up both.
Ten days goes by fast, especially when you are shaken up after an arrest. This is the single most time-sensitive step in a DUI, which is why calling a lawyer early matters. Learn how to request a DMV hearing and what a DMV hearing actually involves.
This is general information, not legal advice, and every case is different. Call Crudo Law at (858) 622-7280 or visit /contact for a free, confidential consultation.