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Westminster is the only city in this courthouse's nine-city service area where a DUI arrest doesn't mean a trip to a neighboring city. The Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center sits inside Westminster's own city limits, at 8141 13th Street — the city with its own police department, its own identity as the heart of Little Saigon along Bolsa Avenue, and the courthouse that also hears DUI cases from Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, and seven other west-county cities that have to drive in. Ron Chini defends DUI arrests here from his Irvine office, and the DMV's 10-day clock starts the moment you're released.
Where a Westminster DUI case is heard
If you were arrested for DUI in Westminster, your case is heard at the Stephen K. Tamura West Justice Center, 8141 13th Street — a courthouse that is, unusually for this part of the county, actually located in the city whose arrests it hears. The Orange County Superior Court's own location page lists Westminster first among the nine cities this building serves, alongside Costa Mesa, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton. For a Garden Grove or Huntington Beach defendant, every hearing means a drive into Westminster; for a Westminster defendant, it means driving across town.
West Justice Center & DMV details
Why this matters for your case
Because the courthouse is physically in Westminster, there's no 20–30 minute inland drive to factor into every hearing the way there is for Huntington Beach or Garden Grove defendants. Separately, an OC misdemeanor DUI arrest routes through the county's own booking and jail system — Orange County's main booking point is the Orange County Sheriff's Intake Release Center, 550 N. Flower Street in Santa Ana, with a possible later transfer to the Theo Lacy Facility in the City of Orange depending on classification. Westminster PD does not run its own long-term jail; ask us to confirm current booking routing for your specific arrest, since practices can change.
Westminster PD, CHP, and getting your car back
Westminster is one of the Orange County cities that runs its own police department rather than contracting with the Orange County Sheriff's Department — the Westminster Police Department, headquartered at 8200 Westminster Boulevard, handles patrol and DUI enforcement inside the city, while the California Highway Patrol covers DUI stops on the freeways nearby, including SR-22 (the Garden Grove Freeway) and the I-405 corridor that borders the city.
- Vehicle release: Westminster PD's Records Service Counter handles vehicle releases Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (no weekend or holiday releases) at (714) 898-3315. You'll need a valid vehicle registration, a valid driver's license, and proof of insurance — a DUI-related license suspension can complicate this step, so ask us before you go.
- Property and evidence: If personal property was held separately, Westminster PD's Property and Evidence counter is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at (714) 548-3216.
- General records: Copies of the police report, citation payments, and other records questions go through the Records Service Counter at (714) 548-3218.
- Statewide, a vehicle impounded under California Vehicle Code §14602.6 (driving with a suspended license, or certain unlicensed-driver stops) can be held up to 30 days regardless of who the registered owner is — a separate issue from the vehicle release above if that section applies to your stop.
Little Saigon, Bolsa Avenue, and Westminster's identity
Westminster, incorporated in 1957, is home to the historic core of Little Saigon — widely described as the largest Vietnamese population center outside Vietnam itself. The community's commercial heart runs along Bolsa Avenue, where the first Vietnamese-owned businesses opened in the late 1970s; by the early 1980s more than 300 businesses lined the street, and in 1987 developer Frank Jao opened the Asian Garden Mall (Phước Lộc Thọ) at 9200 Bolsa Avenue as its anchor. In April 1988, the City of Westminster passed Resolution No. 2661, formally designating a 1.5-mile stretch of Bolsa Avenue as the Little Saigon Tourist Commercial District — one of the first official recognitions of a Vietnamese-American business district anywhere in the country. As of the 2020 census, Westminster's population was about 90,900, with Vietnamese Americans making up roughly 44% of residents.
That history shapes the city day to day, from the street signage to the civic calendar. It's also worth being direct about language: Ron Chini's practice is conducted in English and Farsi. The firm does not offer Vietnamese-language service, and many Little Saigon clients bring a family member or their own interpreter to the free consultation — which is no obstacle to getting a clear, honest explanation of the charges, the DMV deadline, and the options in front of you.
Where will my Westminster DUI case be heard?
Is the West Justice Center really located in Westminster?
Does Westminster have its own police department, or does the Sheriff patrol it?
How do I get my car back after a DUI arrest in Westminster?
How long do I have to request a DMV hearing after a Westminster DUI arrest?
Westminster is one of nine cities served by the West Justice Center. To see how DUI defense works across the rest of Orange County, visit our Orange County DUI Defense page.
Ron defends DUI cases across Southern California from his Irvine office, in English and Farsi — and works directly with you, not a call center.
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