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Burbank sits on the eastern edge of the San Fernando Valley, wrapped around the I-5 (Golden State) and SR-134 (Ventura) freeways and threaded with high-traffic surface arterials like Olive, Magnolia, San Fernando, and Victory. Between the studio lots, Downtown Burbank's restaurants and bars, the Magnolia Park corridor, and travelers cycling through Hollywood Burbank Airport, the city draws a steady evening and late-night flow of drivers. That makes Burbank a meaningfully different DUI environment from a quiet bedroom suburb — it has its own full-service police department running its own enforcement, and a charter-city prosecution setup that sends your misdemeanor case to a city prosecutor rather than the county.
How DUIs are policed in Burbank
Burbank is policed by its own Burbank Police Department, not a Los Angeles County Sheriff contract station. The department's Traffic Bureau runs DUI/driver's-license checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols throughout the year, typically funded by grants from the California Office of Traffic Safety. Burbank PD publicizes each checkpoint in advance and follows up with the results, and it places those operations where DUI collisions and arrests have piled up — which tends to mean the busy commercial blocks and arterials downtown rather than the freeway lanes.
On the city's freeway lanes — the I-5 and SR-134 — DUI enforcement and crash investigation generally fall to the California Highway Patrol area office that covers this part of the San Fernando Valley, while surface-street stops within city limits stay with Burbank PD. In the California Office of Traffic Safety's annual city rankings, Burbank — like most built-up, high-traffic San Gabriel and San Fernando Valley cities — tends to show meaningful alcohol-involved crash and DUI-arrest activity relative to its size, which is consistent with a city that maintains an active, grant-funded DUI enforcement program. (We describe this in general terms; no specific OTS rank, arrest count, or percentage is asserted here.)
- Burbank PD operates its own Traffic Bureau, which conducts DUI checkpoints and roving saturation patrols, often grant-funded through the Office of Traffic Safety.
- Checkpoint sites are chosen from areas with a documented history of DUI crashes and arrests, frequently along major arterials like Olive, Magnolia, and San Fernando.
- I-5 and SR-134 freeway DUI stops are typically handled by the CHP area office covering the eastern San Fernando Valley.
- Stops near Downtown Burbank, Magnolia Park, and the airport reflect the city's heavy evening and late-night traffic.
Who prosecutes a Burbank DUI — and where
Burbank DUI cases are heard at the Burbank Courthouse, 300 E. Olive Avenue. The county locator lists it in the North Central District with jurisdiction over cases arising in Burbank, and the building has a criminal intake office.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney keeps a Burbank Satellite Office in the same building, Room 215. Felony DUI charges, such as a case involving injury, are filed by the District Attorney's Office. For a misdemeanor, your charging papers show which office is prosecuting, and your attorney can confirm it with you early so you know who will receive your defense requests.
The Burbank Courthouse does not have its own page on this site, so the Los Angeles County DUI defense overview is a good place to see how a case moves from first appearance forward. Court assignments can shift, so check your citation or release paperwork for the courtroom before any date.
Metrolink at Front Street, Burbank Bus shuttles, and rides on demand
Metrolink's Burbank Downtown station, 201 N. Front Street, serves the Antelope Valley and Ventura County lines. Metrolink lists three Burbank Bus routes that connect there, the Media District Shuttle, the Downtown Burbank Loop, and the Empire Downtown Shuttle, along with Metro Micro, an on demand rideshare service that Metrolink says costs $1 a ride within its service zones. Parking at the station is free for Metrolink passengers, with a 72 hour overnight limit, which matters if you leave a car there while you cope without a license.
A second rail stop, Burbank Airport South, is served by Metrolink and Amtrak, according to the airport's Wikipedia article. Rail schedules differ by line and day, so look at Metrolink's timetable for your actual commute rather than assuming trains run late into the evening.
No DMV office in Burbank itself
The DMV's website lists no field office in Burbank. Offices on its list in the surrounding area include Glendale (1335 W. Glenoaks Boulevard), Van Nuys (14920 Vanowen Street), and Arleta (14400 Van Nuys Boulevard). Each office page on the DMV site shows current wait times and lets you schedule an appointment or join the line from your phone, which can save a long drive over the hill from Burbank for nothing.
Some license tasks do not need a counter at all. The DMV site has online pages to replace a license, request a driver record, and pay a reinstatement fee. None of these replaces the DMV hearing request after a DUI arrest. That request has its own 10-day clock, and the steps are laid out on our DMV hearing page. If your license has already been suspended, see how a suspension works on our license suspension page.
Getting a car back from the Police and Fire Headquarters
Burbank Police releases impounded vehicles from its Police and Fire Headquarters at 200 N. Third Street, where the front lobby takes releases seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only the registered owner can pick up the vehicle, by showing a valid California driver's license, or a person named in a notarized letter that lists the car's make, model, and license plate. The administrative fee is charged by credit or debit card only, since the lobby does not take cash or checks, and separate towing and storage charges are owed to the tow yard, Girard and Peterson on West Providencia Avenue. For a question about a DUI related hold, the Traffic Bureau at 818-238-3100 can say when the car becomes eligible for release.
Who prosecutes a DUI in Burbank — the City Attorney or the District Attorney?
Because Burbank is a charter city, its own City Attorney's Office Prosecution Unit handles misdemeanor DUI cases arrested within the city — not the Los Angeles County District Attorney. Felony DUI charges are always prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.
Where is a Burbank DUI case heard?
Burbank DUI cases are generally heard at the Burbank Courthouse (300 E. Olive Avenue), the criminal courthouse for the Superior Court's North Central District. Always confirm the courthouse and courtroom listed on your citation, since assignments can change.
Does Burbank Police run DUI checkpoints?
Yes. The Burbank Police Department's Traffic Bureau conducts DUI/driver's-license checkpoints and DUI saturation patrols throughout the year, often funded by California Office of Traffic Safety grants. The department gives advance notice of each checkpoint and reports the outcome once it wraps, siting the operations where DUI collisions and arrests have concentrated.
What is the 10-day DMV deadline after a Burbank DUI arrest?
The criminal case and your driver's license are handled separately. After a California DUI arrest you generally have only 10 days to request a DMV hearing, or your license is automatically suspended. Missing that deadline forfeits a key chance to challenge the suspension, so it is one of the first things to address. See our DMV hearing guide.
Can Ron Chini defend my Burbank DUI from Irvine?
Yes. Ron Chini's office is in Irvine (2102 Business Center Drive), and he regularly defends DUI cases throughout Los Angeles County, including Burbank, from there. He is an experienced DUI defense attorney; he does not claim to be a certified specialist, and no result is ever guaranteed. The consultation is free and flexible payment plans are available. Call (888) 998-6938, 7 days a week.
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