The four measures signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom do not all take effect at once. The Los Angeles Times reports that AB 1685 and AB 1687 are scheduled to begin in 2031, while AB 1546 is scheduled for 2033.
How repeat-conviction penalties change
Under AB 1546, a third DUI conviction within 10 years can be charged either as a misdemeanor or a felony, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Times reports that a fifth conviction in that period would be a felony, with a possible prison term of up to three years upon conviction.
AB 1685 raises the DMV point assessment from two to three for convictions of vehicular manslaughter and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, according to the Governor of California.
License revocations and court notices
Reports differ on the length of revocations under AB 1687. The Los Angeles Times describes an increase from three years to six; KION Central Coast reports a change from three years to eight after a third DUI. Separately, the governor’s office says the DMV could revoke a license for as long as six years for a person with four or more qualifying convictions in a 10-year period.
SB 907, known as Braun’s Law, addresses cases in which a DUI charge is reduced and the defendant pleads to a lesser offense. Courts must notify those defendants that a later impaired-driving offense resulting in a death could lead to more serious charges, including murder, CBS Sacramento reports. The law is named for Braun Levi, an 18-year-old Loyola High School student and nationally ranked tennis player who was killed by a suspected repeat drunk driver while walking in Manhattan Beach in May 2025, according to CBS Sacramento.
Enforcement activity reported by the state
The California Highway Patrol reported more than 50,900 DUI arrests so far in 2026, alongside 75 sobriety checkpoints, 154 saturation patrols and 64 traffic-safety presentations, according to the Governor of California. The governor’s office also reported that in July 2026 the CHP awarded more than $41 million in cannabis-tax-funded grants to 183 organizations for impaired-driving enforcement, public education, officer training and forensic testing.
