CAL.Regulation
California imposes 3-to-5-year prison terms for hit-and-run drivers with prior DUIs and mandates Watson advisements on pled-down charges
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 907 (Braun's Law) on September 25, 2026. The act amends Vehicle Code sections 20001 and 23635. A hit-and-run driver whose crash kills or seriously injures someone faces three-, four-, or five-year state prison terms when the offense occurred within 10 years of a prior DUI-related conviction. Courts must give the Watson murder advisement when a DUI allegation is dismissed or pled down to a lesser offense. The non-urgency statute takes effect January 1, 2027.
Enrolled text (California Legislative Information) → · Governor of California, CapitolTrack
Key points
- Chaptered September 25, 2026, as Chapter 443, Statutes of 2026, by majority vote as a non-urgency, state-mandated local program.California Legislative Information
- A hit-and-run causing injury or death within 10 years of a prior DUI conviction draws two, three, or four years in state prison.California Legislative Information
- The three-to-five-year term applies where the crash caused death or permanent, serious injury within 10 years of a prior DUI conviction.California Legislative Information
- Courts must give the murder advisement when a DUI allegation is dismissed or the defendant pleads to a different or lesser offense.Governor of CaliforniaCapitolTrack
- Named for Braun Levi, an 18-year-old killed by a suspected repeat drunk driver in Manhattan Beach in May 2025.Governor of California
- Permanent, serious injury is defined as the loss or permanent impairment of function of a bodily member or organ.California Legislative Information
Sources4 articles across 3 outlets
California Legislative Information
CapitolTrack
Governor of California