DUI in Pinellas County, Florida
2,355 cases (2025) · Pinellas County courts
Updated July 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Pinellas County processed 2,355 DUI cases with a 97.8 percent guilty rate. The dismissal rate of 0.7 percent fell 0.7 percentage points below Florida's statewide average of 1.4 percent, and only 0.5 percent received adjudication withheld. This reflects consistent, aggressive enforcement in the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
Sentences averaged 111 days with a median of 60 days, and 43 percent received jail confinement while 1.3 percent served prison time. Probation averaged 395 days, with average fines of $1,173. Counsel representation was sparse—only 15 percent retained private attorneys and 13.6 percent received public defenders—meaning nearly 71 percent proceeded with no recorded counsel, the lowest representation rates across all DUI jurisdictions reviewed.
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 Pinellas County receive adjudication withheld or diversion.
Typical resolution time for DUI cases in Pinellas County.
Source: Florida Statutes & DHSMV administrative rules — general process overview, not legal advice.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every DUI charge in Pinellas County makes it in front of a judge. Of 4,605 prosecutor decisions on DUI charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 13.5% — in line with 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 — 97.8% of 2,355 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 2,355 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 | 3,411 | 2.9 months |
| State Prison Facility | 68 | 2.2 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: DUI sentencing in Pinellas 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 | 1,506 | 98.1% | 0.6% |
| Black | 422 | 96.4% | 0.7% |
| Asian | 31 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,826 | 98.1% | 0.8% | 3.1 months |
| 2024 | 2,542 | 97.1% | 0.9% | 3.3 months |
| 2025 | 2,355 | 97.8% | 0.7% | 3.7 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 | 7,432 |
| Felony | Third Degree | 288 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 3 |
Related Charges in Pinellas County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Possession | 6,868 | 75.7% | 1.5% |
| Other | 6,405 | 14.3% | 0.4% |
| Traffic Offense | 5,465 | 78.3% | 0.6% |
| Trespassing | 2,554 | 85.7% | 4.7% |
| Larceny / Theft | 2,453 | 75.0% | 2.0% |
| Battery | 2,043 | 54.4% | 3.3% |
| Resisting Officer | 1,579 | 78.0% | 1.5% |
| Fraud | 810 | 73.2% | 1.4% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for DUI in Pinellas County?
The guilty rate is 97.8% based on 2,355 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for DUI in Pinellas 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 Pinellas County?
The average sentence is 3.7 months, with an average fine of $1,173 (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
13.6% of defendants use a public defender, while 15.0% retain private counsel (2025).
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). DUI in Pinellas County, Florida (2025). Based on 2,355 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/dui/pinellas
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Pinellas 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 · 2,355 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com