Paul Pelosi Ordered to Pay $11,191 After Six-Month Driving Ban

Paul Pelosi, 86, lost his driving privileges for six months after a Napa County judge accepted his no contest plea to misdemeanor hit-and-run. The sentence marks the end of a legal process that began when he struck a parked vehicle in Yountville on July 3 and drove away from the scene.

The collision involved a parked Tesla and the burgundy Maserati convertible Pelosi was driving. Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley stated that Pelosi left the area without identifying himself to the owner or exchanging the contact information required by California law. Deputies found him approximately half a mile from the crash site. He told officers he had planned to return to the scene.

This is not the first time Pelosi has faced legal action for driving. In 2022, he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor DUI in a separate incident in Napa County. That conviction required him to complete a DUI education program and install an ignition interlock device in his vehicle. His history also includes a 1957 crash in San Mateo County that killed his 19-year-old brother, a case in which a jury found him not guilty of wrongdoing.

More recently, traffic records show Pelosi accumulated infractions across four Bay Area counties. The New York Times reported violations in Napa, San Mateo, Marin, and San Francisco. These included speeding, running a red light, driving against traffic on a one-way street, and using a cellphone without a hands-free device.

Napa County Superior Court Judge Scott R.L. Young sentenced Pelosi to one year of probation. The judge prohibited him from driving for six months, which is the maximum period allowed under the specific California Vehicle Code provisions cited by prosecutors. Young also ordered him to complete a 10-day work program. He must report to the Napa County Department of Corrections for booking by November 20.

As part of the plea agreement, Pelosi paid $11,191.14 in restitution to the owner of the damaged Tesla. He was also ordered to pay additional court fines and fees. The district attorney's office released a news statement on Tuesday, noting that the public attention on the case prompted the announcement. Prosecutors stated that misdemeanor hit-and-run cases involving only property damage typically do not receive a public release.

The six-month ban will keep Pelosi off the roads until at least early 2027. His previous conviction in 2022 required similar restrictions, including the use of an ignition interlock device. The current order focuses on a specific time limit for driving and a mandatory work program.