Did Lindsay Lohan go to jail? Yes. The American actress served several short spells in custody in California between 2007 and 2011, all connected to two drink-driving arrests in 2007 and later probation violations. Her longest single stay behind bars was around two weeks in 2010, despite sentences that on paper ran to 90 days. Searches about her legal history have risen again in the UK in 2026 as her film comeback continues.
The 2007 Drink-Driving Arrests
Lindsay Lohan was arrested twice in 2007 for driving under the influence, first in Beverly Hills in May and again in Santa Monica that July, with the second arrest also involving cocaine possession charges. In November 2007 she pleaded guilty to misdemeanour charges and was sentenced to a short custodial term, of which she famously served only 84 minutes in a Los Angeles County facility because of chronic jail overcrowding.
The pleas also came with three years of probation, alcohol education classes and community service, and it was her struggle to meet those conditions that led to nearly all of her later court appearances.
The 2010 Jail Sentence
In July 2010 a judge found that Lohan had violated her probation by missing alcohol education sessions and sentenced her to 90 days in jail. She surrendered to the court on 20 July 2010 and was taken to the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California. She was released after roughly two weeks, again because California jails routinely release non-violent inmates early to manage capacity. The jail term was followed by a court-ordered spell in residential rehab.
2011: House Arrest and a Brief Return to Jail
In 2011 Lohan faced a new charge relating to a necklace taken from a Los Angeles jewellery shop. She pleaded no contest to misdemeanour theft and was sentenced to 120 days, which she served as house arrest with an ankle monitor over about five weeks. Later that year, after a further probation violation finding, she was sentenced to 30 days in jail but was released after only a few hours under the same overcrowding rules.
Why She Served So Little of Each Sentence
American county jails, particularly in Los Angeles, operate early-release policies for non-violent offenders when facilities are full. Sentences of weeks or months can translate into days or even hours in custody. This is a striking difference from England and Wales, where release dates are set by statute: most determinate-sentence prisoners serve a fixed proportion in custody and the remainder on licence in the community, supervised by probation. Our guide to how UK prisons work explains the system in more detail.
How Her Case Would Compare in the UK
Repeat drink-driving and breaches of court orders are dealt with seriously in the UK as well, but the process differs. Probation violations here are usually handled as breaches of a community order or suspended sentence, and custody is a last resort. Anyone facing a short sentence in the UK would typically be held in a local prison first; our list of UK prisons and guide to prison categories explain where different prisoners are held.
Where Lindsay Lohan Is Now
Lohan completed her probation in 2014 and has had no further criminal cases since. She has lived in Dubai for a number of years, married in 2022, and has rebuilt her career with a run of Netflix films and a return to mainstream Hollywood projects. The renewed search interest in her jail history in 2026 reflects curiosity sparked by her comeback rather than any new legal trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times did Lindsay Lohan go to jail?
She was booked into custody on several occasions between 2007 and 2011, but her stays were short. The longest was about two weeks in July 2010 at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, California.
What was Lindsay Lohan jailed for?
Her custodial sentences stemmed from two drink-driving arrests in 2007 and later findings that she had violated the terms of her probation, including missed alcohol education classes.
Did Lindsay Lohan serve her full 90-day sentence in 2010?
No. She was released after roughly two weeks because California jails operate early release policies for non-violent inmates when facilities are overcrowded.
Is Lindsay Lohan in any legal trouble now?
No. She completed probation in 2014 and has had no criminal cases since. Recent search interest relates to her acting comeback rather than any new proceedings.
Would a similar case lead to jail in the UK?
Repeat drink-driving can lead to custody in the UK, but breaches of court orders are usually dealt with through community penalties first. Release rules also differ, with UK release dates set by law rather than by jail capacity.
