DUI in Palm Beach County, Florida
1,691 cases (2025) · Palm Beach County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Palm Beach County handled 1,691 DUI cases, the highest volume among all counties reviewed. Guilty verdicts occurred in 95.6% of cases, with only 0.3% dismissed—well below the statewide dismissal rate of 1.4%. Withheld adjudication (0.5%) and diversion (1.5%) were also less frequent than statewide norms. Conviction was the dominant outcome.
Defendants averaged 63 days of confinement, with 45.1% serving jail time and 0.4% receiving prison sentences. Probation lasted 387 days, and fines averaged $1,084. Nearly equal proportions of private attorneys (48.2%) and public defenders (34.3%) represented defendants, reflecting the county's mixed economic profile.
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. 2.0% of DUI cases in Palm Beach County receive adjudication withheld or diversion.
Typical resolution time for DUI cases in Palm Beach County.
Source: Florida Statutes & DHSMV administrative rules — general process overview, not legal advice.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every DUI charge in Palm Beach County makes it in front of a judge. Of 4,354 prosecutor decisions on DUI charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 31.3% — above 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 — 95.6% of 1,691 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 1,691 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 | 2,136 | 2.0 months |
| State Prison Facility | 22 | 2.7 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: DUI sentencing in Palm Beach 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 | 1,369 | 96.0% | 0.3% |
| Black | 317 | 93.7% | 0.3% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1,507 | 96.5% | 0.3% | 2.2 months |
| 2024 | 1,778 | 96.6% | 0.2% | 2.7 months |
| 2025 | 1,691 | 95.6% | 0.3% | 2.1 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 | Not Applicable | 2,685 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 2,138 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 81 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 72 |
Related Charges in Palm Beach County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 18,608 | 27.0% | 0.4% |
| Other | 5,544 | 11.7% | 0.4% |
| Drug Possession | 3,574 | 68.0% | 0.3% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,182 | 63.8% | 0.5% |
| Battery | 2,689 | 45.0% | 0.5% |
| Trespassing | 2,271 | 69.7% | 1.2% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,091 | 61.8% | 0.5% |
| Sex Offense | 1,005 | 87.1% | 0.1% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for DUI in Palm Beach County?
The guilty rate is 95.6% based on 1,691 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for DUI in Palm Beach County?
Adjudication is withheld in 0.5% 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 Palm Beach County?
The average sentence is 2.1 months, with an average fine of $1,084 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
34.3% of defendants use a public defender, while 48.2% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). DUI in Palm Beach County, Florida (2025). Based on 1,691 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/dui/palm-beach
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Palm Beach 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 · 1,691 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com