California's proposed 'sticker law' for repeat DUI offenders fails to pass

California's legislature recently debated two bills aimed at curbing repeat drunk driving offenses by imposing new restrictions on offenders. The proposed legislation sought to leverage the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to mark the licenses of certain repeat DUI offenders, effectively prohibiting them from purchasing alcohol.

Modeled after a similar law in Utah, the bills, identified as AB 1605 and AB 1867, had distinct approaches. AB 1605 would have mandated that alcohol vendors verify identification and refuse service if a license displayed a "NO ALCOHOL SALES" notation. AB 1867 proposed a more stringent measure, allowing establishments to deny sales if a license indicated a lifetime ban on alcohol purchases.

However, according to CalMatters, neither of these legislative initiatives successfully navigated the approval process and remain unsigned into law. The proposals aimed to add significant consequences for those convicted of serious DUI offenses, including those involving injury or vehicular manslaughter.

AB 1605, specifically, would have allowed courts to prohibit alcohol purchases as a condition of probation for individuals with at least two prior DUI convictions within a decade or a conviction for vehicular manslaughter. It also included provisions for state reimbursement to local agencies for administrative costs associated with implementation. This bill, however, stalled in the legislative process by May 14.

AB 1867 presented a broader scope, potentially requiring courts to impose a lifetime ban on alcohol purchases for those convicted of a third DUI within ten years and sentenced to state prison. The DMV would have been tasked with issuing licenses bearing a specific identifier to alert vendors to such restrictions. Establishments would also have been authorized to refuse sales under this provision.