DUI checkpoint planned in Sacramento. Here’s when and where
Sacramento Police will be on the look out for intoxicated drivers this weekend.
The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint “within city limits,” the agency said in a Thursday, June 26 news release.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Anna Mahoney, sergeant for the Sacramento Police Department, said in the news release.
Checkpoints aim to promote public safety by taking motorists suspected of driving drunk or high off the road.
“Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety,” Mahoney said.
When is DUI checkpoint in the Sacramento?
The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a DUI Checkpoint 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday, June 27, according to the release.
What is considered impaired driving?
According to the Sacramento Police Department, impaired driving is not just from alcohol.
“Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving,” the agency said in its release. “While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.”
Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the release said.
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 June 27, 2025 at 10:07 AM.
