You may want to obtain legal counsel for your situation since being cited and charged with driving under the influence (DUI), driving without insurance and having expired registration will likely add up to serious consequences for you in court. While we are not legal professionals we can give you information on the penalties that we know of for these offenses, starting with the least serious one.

California does not offer a grace period after your vehicle's registration expiration date. If you do not pay your renewal fees on or before the date of expiration shown on your current registration card or penalties will be due in accordance with Vehicle Code Sections 9552 – 9554. The longer you delay payment of fees, the greater the penalty amount will be.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles website has a chart of the registration fee penalties for renewing your registration late or you can call 1-800-777-0133 to find out what your fees are. The chart shows that penalties range from 10% of the normal fees up to 160%, the longer your wait to renew the higher the fees.

The vehicle code states that besides the imposition of monetary fines or fees as specified in the VC, delinquent registration may result in impoundment of the vehicle.

In California, driving without insurance is a serious offense. Failure to show proof of insurance when requested may result in fines or a suspended license. If you are stopped by a police officer and asked for proof of insurance and you cannot produce it, you may receive a citation.

Failing to show proof of financial responsibility is a violation of California Vehicle Code Section 16029. Violating this code could result in fines up to $500 plus other penalties such as the impoundment of the vehicle and suspension of your driver's license. If the vehicle is impounded the owner will have to pay for all storage and tow charges.

The court in the jurisdiction you received the ticket for being an uninsured motorist will determine the exact amount of the fine. This California court site may allow you to find out your fine amount for this offense.

According to the CA DMV if you are convicted of driving with excessive BAC or while under the influence of either alcohol or drugs or both (DUI), you may be sentenced to serve up to six months in jail and to pay a fine between $390 and $1000 (plus about three times the fine in penalty assessments) the first time you are convicted. Your vehicle may be impounded and subject to storage fees.

On the first conviction the court will suspend your driving privilege for six months and require you to complete a DUI program before you can be reinstated. The length of the program may vary. If your BAC was .15% or higher and you already had a record of violations for other reasons or you refused to submit to a chemical test, the court may order you to complete a nine-month or longer program. If your BAC was .20% or higher and the court refers you to an enhanced DUI treatment program, your license will be suspended for 10 months.

Since you have been cited for three fairly serious offenses you may want to hire legal counsel to help you determine your options and help represent you in court. As you can see you are facing fines, registration suspension, driver's license suspension and jail time. You may also need to attend a DUI program.

Normally after a DUI conviction in California to get your license reinstated one must file and maintain a SR-22 for three (3) years. The amount of time the CA SR22 must be carried by a motorist may differ depending upon their conviction and if there were other issues involved in the case, such as driving without insurance, which you were also cited for. Once you are able to get your license reinstated you can shop for your auto insurance needs here.