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The courthouse at 4601 Jamboree Road sits beside John Wayne Airport, and for a lot of South County drivers it is the place a DUI arrest turns into a court date. Orange County Superior Court uses Harbor for criminal and traffic matters, and its criminal and traffic divisions run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you were arrested in Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, or one of the neighboring cities, your paperwork will probably point here. Below you will find how parking and entry work, who to call about alcohol education, and how the DMV side of your case is handled. The DMV deadline to request a hearing is 10 days, and it does not wait for your court date.
Harbor Justice Center — court & DMV details
Why your case is here
Harbor is the designated criminal and traffic court for South Orange County. A DUI arrest in Irvine, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, Lake Forest, the Laguna cities, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, or San Clemente is generally heard here at 4601 Jamboree Road. The courthouse sits beside John Wayne Airport, in the heart of the affluent coastal-to-inland area it serves — a stretch with heavy weekend and Pacific Coast Highway DUI enforcement.
Parking and getting through the door on Jamboree Road
The court's facility page says parking at Harbor is free, and the court's parking sheet describes a lot adjacent to the courthouse with limited spaces. Accessible spaces are along the front of the building on the same level as the entrance. Arrive early on a busy morning, since a full lot means a longer walk and a longer wait.
Harbor is a full security facility. Everyone passes through a weapons screening device, and hand-carried items are x-rayed. Prohibited items include knives, scissors, corkscrews, mace, pepper spray, and knitting needles. Criminal Operations is on the first floor, and the court lists an accessible public counter at window 8. The building has two floors, with elevators at the north and south ends.
A court bus guide from 2019 listed OCTA Routes 59, 178, and 472 (the last in peak hours only) as serving the courthouse. Service changes often, so check OCTA's current trip planner for your date.
Alcohol education and the court's liaison line
Harbor's court page lists an Alcohol Liaison through the county Health Care Agency at (949) 476-4624. That is the number to try if you have questions about a court-ordered alcohol or DUI program. The court does not run the programs. It orders enrollment through providers that the state licenses and the county monitors.
The county lists first offender programs of 3 months (34 hours), 6 months (48 hours), and 9 months (65 hours), plus a 12-hour wet reckless program and longer programs for repeat cases. The judge decides which applies. The county's 3-month provider list, revised June 2022, had locations in Newport Beach, Irvine, Laguna Hills, and San Juan Capistrano, so South County residents often have a program close to home. Always check the county's current provider list before paying a deposit.
How the DMV hearing works while the Harbor case is pending
The DMV case is separate from anything that happens at Jamboree Road. The DMV says a person must request a hearing within 10 days of receiving notice of the action against their driving privilege. Its site says hearings are recorded and held by Microsoft Teams video, by telephone, or in person. If you request one and do not attend, the DMV goes ahead without you.
The DMV's current Driver Safety Office page lists one office, in El Segundo, with the (833) 543-7703 number and an online case system for scheduling hearings and uploading documents. Keep your notice of hearing handy, because the DMV says you are responsible for connecting with the information on it.
The 10-day DMV deadline
Alongside your Harbor court case, the DMV runs its own action against your license, with a hard 10-day window from the arrest to request a hearing. How the DMV hearing works →
How Ron defends a DUI at the Harbor Justice Center
A misdemeanor DUI filed at Harbor is prosecuted by the Orange County District Attorney's Office. The case starts with an arraignment, then moves to pretrial dates where the defense reviews the police reports, video, and chemical test records before deciding whether to negotiate, file motions, or set a trial. Ron looks at why the officer stopped the car, how the field sobriety tests were given, and how the breath or blood sample was collected and tested. He cannot promise a result, and what is possible depends on the facts of your arrest.
The court's remote appearance page says criminal appearances are generally in person, unless a courtroom approves a remote appearance, and you ask the assigned clerk about that. Remote options the court describes for traffic arraignments, including Department H13 at Harbor, are for traffic matters and are a different process from a DUI criminal case. Ron's office at 2102 Business Center Drive in Irvine puts him in the same part of the county as this courthouse, and he handles the court case and the DMV hearing together so the two stay coordinated.
Where will my Irvine or Newport Beach DUI be heard?
Does Harbor handle South County cities like Mission Viejo and San Clemente?
Is the courthouse really next to John Wayne Airport?
When do I have to act to keep driving?
Cities that route here
← Back to Orange County DUI Defense
Ron defends DUI cases across Southern California from his Irvine office — and works directly with you, not a call center.
Learn more about Ron Chini →