The Players

You’re likely to meet people from several different places during a DUI arrest in Santa Barbara County. First, believe it or not, there are nine different law enforcement agencies that could potentially be involved in a DUI arrest. Second, there are two hospitals that may be involved in blood draws or medical care of the alleged DUI driver. Because the arresting officer has discretion to tow your car, various towing companies may be involved. Finally, for those few drivers taken into custody, a bail bonds company may be necessary to secure release.

Law Enforcement

Depending on your location, you may be stopped by one or more of nine different law enforcement agencies. For easy reference, the links on the right provide access to the web sites of these agencies.

Hospitals

Where a blood test cannot be performed by the arresting agency, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara and Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria are the most likely places a DUI suspect will be taken.

Both hospitals maintain a supply of forensic blood test kits supplied by law enforcement. These blood draws are not sent to the hospital's laboratory, but collected and sent by the arresting officer to the Department of Justice Laboratory in Goleta for testing.

Towing Companies

When the vehicle is impounded in Santa Barbara, it will be stored at the towing company's place of business. Companies often used are B.J.'s Towing and Thomas Towing in Santa Barbara and City Motors Towing in Santa Maria.

Bail Bonds Companies

Most citizens arrested for DUI are cited by the arresting officer and released after they sign the citation promising to appear in court. However, the officer has the discretion not to cite and release but instead to require bail to be posted. Officers routinely require bail where the motorist lives in another state.

If the motorist must post bail, she can either deposit those funds (or appropriate collateral) with the Sheriff's Department herself or pay a bail bonds company a fee to post a bond for her. The usual fee is ten percent of the bail amount and is nonrefundable.