DUI checkpoint planned in Sacramento area. Here’s when and where
Police will be on the lookout for drunk drivers in the Sacramento area.
The Sacramento Police Department will conduct a DUI checkpoint within city limits starting Friday night, the agency said in a news release.
DUI checkpoints “promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road,” the release said.
“Impaired drivers put others on the road at significant risk,” Sacramento police Sgt. Anna Mahoney said in the release. “Any prevention measures that reduce the number of impaired drivers on our roads significantly improve traffic safety.”
When is DUI checkpoint in Sacramento? Where?
Sacramento police will conduct the DUI checkpoint from 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 12, to 1 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13, according to the release.
The agency didn’t share the specific location of the checkpoint, but said it was based on “data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes.”
Sacramento ranked among the 10 worst cities for drunk driving in the United States in 2024, according to personal finance website Lending Tree.
California’s capital city also landed on Lending Tree’s 2025 list of the U.S. cities with the most impaired drivers.
What is considered impaired driving in California?
Impaired driving isn’t limited to alcohol use, according to the Sacramento Police Department. “Some prescription medications and over-the-counter drugs may interfere with driving,” police said in the release. “While medicinal and recreational marijuana are legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal.”
Funding for the sobriety checkpoint came from a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Do I have to submit to a sobriety test at a DUI checkpoint?
California law requires all drivers to 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 Packer in Riverside.
Field sobriety tests are subjective and may not accurately measure sobriety, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
“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 yet to be 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 DUI for the first time can also face an average of $13,500 in fines, fees and more.
This story was originally published September 12, 2025 at 8:28 AM.
