DUI in Alachua County, Florida
251 cases (2025) · Alachua County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Alachua County handled 249 DUI cases with an 85.5% conviction rate but notably employed diversion programs at 12.4%—nearly six times the statewide rate of 2.1%. Diversion allows defendants to avoid conviction through program completion. Alachua's approach prioritizes rehabilitation pathways for impaired driving, offering eligible defendants a meaningful alternative to criminal records.
Sentences for those convicted are modest. The average is 135 days with a median of 91 days, plus 384 days average probation. Only 1.2% receive prison time, while 24.1% serve jail confinement. Public defenders handle 57.8% of cases. The county's heavy diversion use combined with short sentences reflects a rehabilitation-focused DUI model.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Where You Are in the Process
Exhibit · DUI case process
Request a formal review hearing with the DMV (DHSMV) to challenge your license suspension. Missing this deadline means an automatic suspension.
Arraignment. Charges are formally presented. Pre-trial diversion may be offered.
Pre-trial period. Your attorney negotiates with the State Attorney's office. A portion of DUI cases in Alachua County receive adjudication withheld or diversion.
Typical resolution time for DUI cases in Alachua County.
Source: Florida Statutes & DHSMV administrative rules — general process overview, not legal advice.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every DUI charge in Alachua County makes it in front of a judge. Of 109 prosecutor decisions on DUI charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 3.7% — below the 15.3% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.
Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney case data (2023-2025). Rates are per charge, not per defendant — a dropped charge often reflects a plea agreement on another charge in the same case, not the case going away. Percentages are of charges receiving a prosecution decision; transfers between courts are excluded. Court outcome data on this page is a separate dataset covering cases that reached disposition. Statewide charging patterns: The Florida Prosecution Report.
Outcome Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 85.3% of 251 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 251 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 185 | 3.4 months |
| State Prison Facility | 13 | 2.4 years |
| Confinement to Hospital Facility | 1 | 10 days |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: DUI sentencing in Alachua County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for DUI in Alachua County?
The guilty rate is 85.3% based on 251 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for DUI in Alachua County?
Adjudication is withheld in 0.0% of cases (2025). This is a Florida-specific outcome where the court finds guilt but does not formally convict, allowing the defendant to avoid a conviction record under FL Statute 948.01.
What is the average sentence for DUI in Alachua County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 4.5 months, with an average fine of $1,204 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
58.6% of defendants use a public defender, while 22.3% retain private counsel (2025).
Counsel Analysis (2025)
Demographics (2025)
Demographic data reflects systemic patterns in the criminal justice system and should not be used to draw conclusions about any racial or ethnic group. Disparities may reflect differences in policing, prosecution, and socioeconomic factors rather than actual crime rates.
| Race | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 169 | 80.5% | 0.6% |
| Black | 77 | 96.1% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 209 | 98.1% | 0.5% | 4.6 months |
| 2024 | 195 | 93.3% | 0.5% | 6.2 months |
| 2025 | 251 | 85.3% | 0.4% | 4.5 months |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 416 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 216 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 23 |
Related Charges in Alachua County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 864 | 68.6% | 0.0% |
| Drug Possession | 861 | 81.6% | 0.0% |
| Larceny / Theft | 735 | 82.3% | 0.0% |
| Battery | 616 | 65.1% | 0.8% |
| Other | 435 | 71.5% | 1.1% |
| Resisting Officer | 419 | 76.4% | 0.2% |
| Trespassing | 325 | 88.6% | 0.6% |
| Probation Violation | 289 | 94.8% | 3.8% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). DUI in Alachua County, Florida (2025). Based on 251 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/dui/alachua
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Alachua County. "Guilty" includes all cases where the defendant was found guilty. "Adjudication withheld" is a Florida-specific disposition where guilt is found but the court withholds formal adjudication under FL Statute 948.01. "Dismissed" includes all cases dismissed by the court or prosecution.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 251 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com