Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23509. Section 23509.
This article shall be known and may be cited as the “Youthful Drunk Driver Visitation Program Act.”
ARTICLE 3. Youthful Drunk Driver Visitation Program [23509. - 23518.5.]
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH 3.
in effectCal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23510. Section 23510.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(a)
Young drivers often do not realize the consequences of drinking alcohol or ingesting any other drugs, whether legal or not, and driving a motor vehicle while their physical capabilities to drive safely are impaired by those substances.
(b)
Young drivers who use alcohol or other drugs are likely to become dependent
on those substances and prompt intervention is needed to protect other persons, as well as the young driver, from death or serious injury.
(c)
The conviction of a young driver for driving under the influence of an alcoholic beverage, a drug, or both, identifies that person as a risk to the health and safety of others, as well as that young driver, because of the young driver’s inability to control his or her conduct.
(d)
It has been demonstrated that close observation of the effects on others of alcohol and other drugs, both chronic and acute, by a young driver convicted of driving under the influence has a marked effect on recidivism and should therefore be encouraged by the courts, prehospital emergency medical care personnel, and other officials charged with cleaning up the carnage and wreckage caused by drunk drivers.
(e)
The program prescribed in this article provides guidelines for the operation of an intensive program to discourage recidivism by convicted young drunk drivers.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23512. Section 23512.
For the purposes of this article, “program” means the Youthful Drunk Driver Visitation Program prescribed in this article.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23514. Section 23514.
(a)
If a person is found to be in violation of Section 23140, is convicted of, or is adjudged a ward of the juvenile court for, a violation of Section 21200.5, 23140, or 23152 punishable under Section 23536, or Section 23220, 23221, or 23222, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 23224, or Section 23225 or 23226, and is granted probation, the court may order, with the consent of the defendant or ward, as a term and condition of probation in addition to any other term and condition
required or authorized by law, that the defendant or ward participate in the program.
(b)
The court shall give preference for participation in the program to defendants or wards who were less than 21 years of age at the time of the offense if the facilities of the program in the jurisdiction are limited to fewer than the number of defendants or wards eligible and consenting to participate.
(c)
The court shall require that the defendant or ward not drink any alcoholic beverage at all before reaching the age of 21 years and not use illegal drugs.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23516. Section 23516.
The court shall investigate and consult with the defendant or ward, defendant’s or ward’s counsel, if any, and any proposed supervisor of a visitation under the program, and the court may consult with any other person whom the court finds may be of value, including, but not limited to, the defendant’s or ward’s parents or other family members, in order to ascertain that the defendant or ward is suitable for the program, that the visitation will be educational and meaningful to the defendant or ward, and
that there are no physical, emotional, or mental reasons to believe the program would not be appropriate or would cause any injury to the defendant or ward.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23517. Section 23517.
(a)
To the extent that personnel and facilities are made available to the court, the court may include a requirement for supervised visitation by the defendant or ward to all, or any, of the following:
(1)
A trauma facility, as defined in Section 1798.160 of the Health and Safety Code, a base hospital designated pursuant to Section 1798.100 or 1798.101 of the Health and Safety Code, or a general acute care hospital having a basic emergency medical services special permit issued pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 1277 of the Health and Safety Code that regularly receives victims of vehicle crashes, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.
on a Friday or Saturday night to observe appropriate victims of vehicle crashes involving drinking drivers, under the supervision of any of the following:
(A)
A registered nurse trained in providing emergency trauma care or prehospital advanced life support.
(B)
An emergency room physician.
(C)
An emergency medical technician-paramedic or an emergency medical technician II.
(2)
If approved by the county coroner, the county coroner’s office or the county morgue to observe appropriate victims of vehicle crashes involving drinking drivers, under the supervision of the coroner or a deputy coroner.
(b)
As used in this section, “appropriate victims” means victims whose condition is determined by the visitation supervisor to demonstrate the results of crashes involving drinking drivers without being excessively gruesome or traumatic to the probationer.
(c)
If persons trained in counseling or substance abuse are made available to the court, the court may coordinate the visitation program or the visitations at any facility designated in subdivision (a) through those persons.
(d)
Any visitation shall include, before any observation of victims or disabled persons by the probationer, a comprehensive counseling session with the visitation supervisor at which the supervisor shall explain and discuss the experiences that may be encountered during the visitation in order
to ascertain whether the visitation is appropriate for the probationer.
(e)
If at any time, whether before or during a visitation, the supervisor of the probationer determines that the visitation may be or is traumatic or otherwise inappropriate for the probationer, or is uncertain whether the visitation may be traumatic or inappropriate, the visitation shall be terminated without prejudice to the probationer.
(f)
Prior to the court including a requirement for supervised visitation, pursuant to subdivision (a), the court shall consider the speed of the vehicle, the severity of any injuries sustained as a result of the violation, and whether the defendant or ward was engaged in a speed competition, as defined in Section 23109.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23518. Section 23518.
(a)
The program may include a personal conference after the visitations described in Section 23517 between the sentencing judge or judicial officer or the person responsible for coordinating the program for the judicial district and the probationer, his or her counsel, and, if available, the probationer’s parents to discuss the experiences of the visitation and how those experiences may impact the probationer’s future conduct.
(b)
If a personal conference described in subdivision (a) is not practicable, because of the probationer’s absence from the jurisdiction, conflicting time schedules, or other reasons, the program should provide for a written report or letter by the probationer to the court discussing the experiences and their impact on the probationer.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 23518.5. Section 23518.5.
The county, a court, any facility visited pursuant to the program, the agents, employees, or independent contractors of the court, county, or facility visited pursuant to the program, and any person supervising a probationer during the visitation, is not liable for any civil damages resulting from injury to the probationer, or civil damages caused by the probationer, during, or from any activities relating to, the visitation, except for willful or grossly negligent acts intended to, or reasonably
expected to result in, that injury or damage and except for workers’ compensation for the probationer as prescribed by law if the probationer performs community service at the facility as an additional term or condition of probation.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026