CHP will be on the lookout for drunk drivers in Sacramento County. Here’s when
The California Highway Patrol will be on the lookout for drunk drivers in the Sacramento region.
Officers with the CHP’s North Sacramento office will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in an “unincorporated area” of Sacramento County on Thursday, the agency said in a news release.
The office’s jurisdiction spans a total of 172 square miles in the northern section of the county, covering areas that include North Sacramento, Arden Arcade, Carmichael, Elverta and Citrus Heights.
The DUI checkpoint will be staffed by CHP officers “trained in the detection of alcohol and/or drug-impaired drivers,” the release said. “CHP drug recognition experts ... will be on site to provide on-the-spot assessments of drivers suspected of drug use.”
The officers will be equipped with “state-of-the-art hand-held breath testing devices” that measure drivers’ blood alcohol content, according to the release.
Funding for the CHP’s DUI checkpoint program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
When is DUI checkpoint in Sacramento County?
The CHP will conduct the DUI checkpoint on Thursday, May 8.
Officers will set up the checkpoint at approximately 7:30 p.m., and operate it from 8 p.m. Thursday to 2 a.m. Friday, May 9.
“If there is inclement weather, the checkpoint will be canceled for safety reasons, and the officers will be assigned to roving DUI units,” the CHP said.
Where will CHP officers be on lookout for drunk drivers?
The CHP will make the exact location of the sobriety checkpoint location public two hours prior to the checkpoint.
DUI checkpoint locations are based on data collected involving impaired driving-related crashes, according to previous reporting by The Sacramento Bee.
What is impaired driving under California law?
In addition to drunk drivers, CHP officers will be on the lookout for motorists under the influence of substances other than alcohol.
Cannabis, illegal drugs, prescription drugs and even over-the-counter medications can also “affect your ability to drive safely and react to what you see and hear,” the California Department of Motor Vehicles said on its website.
Although medicinal and recreational marijuana use is legal in California, driving under the influence of marijuana is against the law.
Do I have to comply with police at DUI checkpoints?
California Vehicle Code 2814.2 says all drivers must stop and submit to a sobriety checkpoint inspection when law enforcement requires it.
However, a driver is not legally obligated to submit to a field sobriety test, pre-arrest test or cheek swab at a DUI checkpoint, according to the Law Offices of Grech and Parker in Riverside.
Field sobriety tests are subjective and may not accurately measure sobriety, according to Bee archives.
“A police officer’s opinion can be influenced, and it’s possible that the tests were not conducted exactly according to protocol,” said Cron, Israels & Stark Attorneys at Law, which has offices in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
Can I avoid a sobriety checkpoint?
If a driver has not yet been stopped by law enforcement, there are ways they can avoid the checkpoint.
There is no state or federal law that prohibits someone from turning around or finding another route — as long as it is safe to do so — to avoid a DUI checkpoint, according to Shouse California Law Group.
What are penalties for driving under the influence?
If you are stopped by law enforcement for driving under the influence of intoxicants, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has the authority to revoke or suspend your driving privilege.
Drivers charged with a first-time DUI can also face an average of $13,500 in fines, fees and more.
This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 12:31 PM.
