DUI in Hillsborough County, Florida
1,727 cases (2025) · Hillsborough County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Hillsborough County handled 1,727 DUI cases with an 89.9% conviction rate but remarkably high withheld adjudication at 8.3%—more than five times the statewide rate. Withheld adjudication allows judges to find guilt while withholding formal conviction, so defendants avoid felony records. Nearly one in eleven Hillsborough defendants escaped criminal records through this mechanism.
Hillsborough sentences are the most severe among these counties. Defendants averaged 272.7 days confinement, the longest average statewide, with a median of 70 days. Prison confinement occurred in 1.1%, while 12.6% served jail time. The extensive withheld adjudication use combined with elevated sentences suggests a philosophy permitting sentence severity while offering record withholding relief. Notably, 87.2% retained private counsel—the highest rate statewide.
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. 8.5% of DUI cases in Hillsborough County receive adjudication withheld or diversion.
Typical resolution time for DUI cases in Hillsborough County.
Source: Florida Statutes & DHSMV administrative rules — general process overview, not legal advice.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every DUI charge in Hillsborough County makes it in front of a judge. Of 13,269 prosecutor decisions on DUI charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 1.4% — 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 — 89.9% of 1,727 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,727 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 |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 744 | 3.4 months |
| State Prison Facility | 49 | 4.5 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: DUI sentencing in Hillsborough County.
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 | 1,201 | 89.8% | 1.3% |
| Black | 410 | 89.3% | 0.7% |
| Asian | 30 | 90.0% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,561 | 91.8% | 0.8% | 5.8 months |
| 2024 | 1,670 | 88.4% | 1.2% | 4.3 months |
| 2025 | 1,727 | 89.9% | 1.1% | 9.1 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 | First Degree | 4,287 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 443 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 228 |
Related Charges in Hillsborough County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 12,179 | 50.5% | 9.0% |
| Drug Possession | 6,254 | 71.9% | 1.9% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,618 | 68.4% | 2.6% |
| Sex Offense | 4,360 | 85.4% | 1.9% |
| Trespassing | 2,769 | 81.1% | 8.5% |
| Battery | 3,226 | 49.7% | 3.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,885 | 69.3% | 3.6% |
| Other | 2,559 | 74.0% | 1.9% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for DUI in Hillsborough County?
The guilty rate is 89.9% based on 1,727 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for DUI in Hillsborough County?
Adjudication is withheld in 8.3% 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 Hillsborough County?
The average sentence is 9.1 months, with an average fine of $712 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
12.8% of defendants use a public defender, while 87.2% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). DUI in Hillsborough County, Florida (2025). Based on 1,727 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/dui/hillsborough
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Hillsborough 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 · 1,727 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com