DUI Attorney in Pasadena

Reviewed by Ron Chini, Esq. · CA State Bar No. 263308 · DUI defense attorney in Irvine, CA since 2009.
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Pasadena is a major incorporated city northeast of downtown Los Angeles, home to the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and annual events like the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Rose Bowl Game. Colorado Boulevard, Old Town Pasadena's commercial corridor, and events at the Rose Bowl draw heavy traffic throughout the year. DUI arrests in Pasadena occur during routine traffic stops, at checkpoints, and following accidents—and prosecution is handled by the city's own prosecutor, not the LA County District Attorney.

How DUIs are policed in Pasadena

The Pasadena Police Department enforces DUI laws within city limits and makes the majority of arrests. Like most California cities, Pasadena's enforcement rank in the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) rankings varies by year, but the city consistently reports DUI arrests. Freeways within or near Pasadena—including the I-210 (Foothill Freeway) and I-110 (Pasadena Freeway)—fall under California Highway Patrol (CHP) Southern Division jurisdiction.

• Pasadena Police Department: primary DUI enforcement within city limits
• California Highway Patrol: freeways (I-210 Foothill Freeway, I-110 Pasadena Freeway)
• OTS Rankings: general traffic safety metrics vary annually

Who prosecutes a Pasadena DUI — and where

Misdemeanor Pasadena DUI charges are prosecuted by the Pasadena City Attorney's Prosecution Division, which handles state Vehicle Code and municipal code violations arising within city limits; this is different from most Los Angeles County cities, where the County District Attorney's Office handles every misdemeanor. Felony DUI, such as a third offense within ten years or a DUI causing injury, is always prosecuted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney instead. Your case is heard at the Pasadena Courthouse on East Walnut Street, which handles both misdemeanor and felony matters. Ron Chini works with both the City Attorney's office and the County DA on Pasadena cases and appears regularly at the Pasadena Courthouse, so he can tell you what to expect from whichever office ends up prosecuting your case.

Pasadena Police Keeps Jail and Traffic Functions In House

The Pasadena Police Department's Special Operations Division includes a dedicated Jail Section and a separate Traffic Section, so both custody and vehicle-impound matters after a Pasadena DUI arrest are handled inside the department rather than farmed out to the county. For records questions, such as confirming that a car was impounded and figuring out how to retrieve it, the department's own website directs the public to its Records section, which it describes as the place to go for police reports, impounded-vehicle information, and warrants. The general department line, (626) 744-4501, is the place to start if you are not sure which section you need.

The Gold Line Runs Straight Through Pasadena

Four Metro L Line (formerly Gold Line) stations sit inside Pasadena itself: Sierra Madre Villa, Lake Avenue, Del Mar, and Fillmore, giving a license-suspended Pasadena resident direct light-rail access toward Los Angeles Union Station in one direction and toward the San Gabriel Valley in the other, without relying on a single bus route. That is a wider rail footprint than most Los Angeles County cities on this site have, and it is worth building a commute plan around if a DUI is going to mean a suspended license for any length of time.

Pasadena's DMV Field Office Handles Licensing and Registration

Pasadena has its own DMV field office at 49 South Rosemead Boulevard, open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., where the public can handle a driver's license, an identification card, vehicle registration, or a disability parking placard; the office's own listing notes that it does not administer behind-the-wheel driving tests. None of that overlaps with the separate Driver Safety hearing that follows a DUI arrest, which a different DMV office schedules and conducts on its own track, independent of whatever paperwork gets handled on Rosemead Boulevard. The Rosemead Boulevard office also has an on-site self-service kiosk and takes cash, check, credit card, debit card, digital wallet, or money order for whatever counter transaction brings you in.

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Ron Chini, Esq.

DUI Defense Attorney · CA State Bar No. 263308

Ron defends DUI cases across Southern California from his Irvine office — and works directly with you, not a call center.

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