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The famous swimmer has also been temporarily banned from training and any commercial activities.
The sports star's arrest is embarrassing because he has been the public face in China of the Hyundai SantaFe SUV since December last year, appearing in television adverts for the vehicle despite admitting to not having a driving license.
The collision took place in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Sunday, when the Porsche Cayenne SUV he was driving was hit from behind by a bus. The 21-year-old swimmer told police that he had borrowed the SUV from a relative, but had left his driving license at home, Youth Times reported.
However, police could find no record of Sun having a driving license, based on the ID number he provided, and he was arrested.
Sun rocketed to fame after becoming the first Chinese man to win two gold medals for swimming at the 2012 London Olympics, becoming one of the country's most sought-after sportsmen.
When he signed the endorsement deal for the Hyundai SantaFe SUV in December, he admitted in public that he had no driving license.
In the commercial, Sun stands beside the SUV and discusses its functions, but does not drive the vehicle.
"The commercial is beyond reproach, as long as it doesn't include any shots of him driving," said Yi Shenghua, an attorney at Yingke Law Firm in Beijing. "A star agreeing to be the spokesperson for a brand indicates that he or she loves the product."
However, many sports fans have expressed their disappointment on discovering that Sun has broken the law.
"I couldn't believe it was true until I saw the apology on his micro blog. It's like the Michael Phelps marijuana case all over again," said Xu Ming, a sports reporter for a Shanghai newspaper.
Sun, a native of Hangzhou, wrote on his micro blog account that as an athlete he should have been a role model and a public figure, but had failed his responsibility.
"I am deeply sorry for what I've done and will reflect on my behavior. Because I've been focusing on training and competition, I had only a hazy knowledge of laws, which led to my mistake," reads his apology.
"After this incident, I'll strengthen my knowledge and study of laws to prevent such an incident from happening again. I hope everyone will take this as a warning and give me an opportunity to correct my mistake."
However, the apology has left many members of the public dissatisfied, with some saying it was the swimmer's sense of entitlement that led him to drive without a license, not ignorance of law.
"Even a child knows it's against the law to drive without a license," said Wang Chen, a 42-year-old white-collar worker in Shanghai.
"It's easy for young people to become conceited after becoming famous. I believe if he was an average person or an athlete who's not famous, he wouldn't dare to do such a thing."
Xu Houyao, a 26-year-old white-collar worker in Shanghai, said: "Taking advantage of one's celebrity status is a terrible mentality. Also, how can the public be sure that it's the first time Sun has driven without a license?"
Reactions on Sina Weibo, were also broadly critical. In a poll on the platform, more than 11,500 people agreed that Sun should be punished, serving as a warning to the public. As of Monday at 6:30 pm, nearly 1,900 believed he should be let off.
Sun's case is the most recent of several similar cases involving celebrities in the past few years.
Table tennis world and Olympic champion Kong Linghui was detained and fined 1,800 yuan ($295) for driving while under the influence of alcohol in July 2006.
Singer, music producer and director Gao Xiaosong was also sentenced to six months in prison in May 2011 after being found guilty of causing an accident and injuring four people when drunk.
"Celebrities are spoiled by society, but they should be self-disciplined and observe laws and regulations, because the public wants social equality," said Yi.
"Also, reckless driving is irresponsible, endangering both themselves and others."