Traffic Offense in Broward County, Florida

6,520 cases (2025) · Broward County courts

In 2025, Broward County traffic offenses resulted in guilty findings in just 22.1% of cases, with withheld adjudication in 74%—allowing most defendants to avoid conviction records. The 1.7% dismissal rate was well below the statewide 4% average, showing Broward's State Attorney rarely ends cases before trial. This high withheld rate, compared to 30.8% statewide, reflects the 17th Judicial Circuit's distinctive resolution mechanism for traffic prosecutions.

Sentencing emphasized supervision over confinement, with an average of 138 days but median of 50 days. Jail affected only 7.1% of defendants, while probation averaged 690 days. This pattern reflects prosecution focused on compliance and monitoring rather than incarceration.

6,520
Total Cases (2025)
22.1%
Guilty Rate
74.0%
Withheld Rate
1.7%
Dismissal Rate
vs 4.3% statewide, 2025
4.6 months
Avg Sentence

Not every Traffic Offense charge in Broward County makes it in front of a judge. Of 52,451 prosecutor decisions on Traffic Offense charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 18.1% — above the 10.3% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.

Filed for prosecution
81.9% (42,933)
Declined to file
0.0% (0)
Dropped after filing
11.4% (6,005)
Administratively dismissed
6.7% (3,513)
Pre-trial diversion
0.0% (0)

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.

I Outcomes

Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)

Guilty
22.1% (1,443)
Withheld
74.0% (4,824)
Diversion
2.1% (137)
Dismissed
1.7% (109)
Acquitted
0.1% (7)

Largest outcomeAdjudication withheld — 74.0% of 6,520 cases.

Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 6,520 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com

II Sentencing

Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)

4.6 months
Avg Sentence
1.7 months
Median Sentence
1 year, 11 months
Avg Probation
0.5%
Prison Rate
7.1%
Jail Rate

Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).

Confinement Type Count Avg Sentence
County Jail 1,339 2.3 months
State Prison Facility 87 2.7 years

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
Not Available 3,328 16.4% 1.8%
Black 2,992 28.9% 1.6%
Asian 19 26.3% 0.0%
American Indian or Alaska Native 18 16.7% 0.0%
7.3%
Under 21
32.1%
21-29
28.8%
30-39
17.6%
40-49
9.0%
50-59
5.1%
60+

Exhibit · Disposition trends

Year Cases Guilty Rate Dismissal Rate Avg Sentence
2023 6,638 19.7% 0.8% 3.6 months
2024 7,796 19.5% 1.2% 4.2 months
2025 6,520 22.1% 1.7% 4.6 months

Quarterly detail

0.8%
0.7%
0.6%
1.2%
0.6%
1.2%
1.5%
1.2%
1.0%
1.2%
2.4%
2.2%
Q1’23 Q2’23 Q3’23 Q4’23 Q1’24 Q2’24 Q3’24 Q4’24 Q1’25 Q2’25 Q3’25 Q4’25

Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.

Level Degree Cases
Misdemeanor Second Degree 18,882
Misdemeanor First Degree 1,666
Felony Third Degree 406
Charge Cases Guilty Rate Dismissal Rate
Larceny / Theft 3,161 62.6% 1.7%
Drug Possession 2,012 54.5% 12.2%
Resisting Officer 1,556 52.6% 5.3%
Trespassing 1,337 55.9% 4.7%
Other 1,326 32.6% 32.9%
Battery 823 53.9% 8.3%
Fraud 976 55.2% 3.3%
DUI 839 81.0% 2.7%
III Getting Help

Need a Defense Attorney in Broward County?

Get matched with a local attorney who handles Traffic Offense cases. Free, confidential, no obligation.

What is the guilty rate for Traffic Offense in Broward County?

The guilty rate is 22.1% based on 6,520 cases (2025).

How often is adjudication withheld for Traffic Offense in Broward County?

Adjudication is withheld in 74.0% 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 Traffic Offense in Broward County?

The average sentence is 4.6 months (2025).

What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?

0.0% of defendants use a public defender, while 0.0% retain private counsel (2025).

Cite this page

FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Traffic Offense in Broward County, Florida (2025). Based on 6,520 public court records; last updated July 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/traffic-offense/broward

About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Broward 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 · 6,520 cases (2025) · Data last updated July 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com