Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Bartow, Florida, in Polk County, has about 22,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Bartow starts two cases, a criminal case in the County Court and a license case before the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Bartow public records, Polk County DUI, Bartow arrest records, Bartow warrants, Bartow inmate search, Bartow criminal records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
The DUI Law in Florida
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Florida, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Florida is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Florida counts prior offenses within 5 years for a second offense and 10 years for a third.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Bartow
The Polk County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Bartow (filed by the FBI as Bartow Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Bartow.
The FBI's agency list also places five state agencies, one campus police department and one state police unit in Polk County (the arrest records guide names each one); the Highway Patrol in Polk County makes the arrests on the state highways.
Lakeland reported 2,858 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Polk County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Bartow
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, held about 2,600 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at polksheriff.org/detention/jail-inquiry, phone 863-292-3400. The Bartow inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Bartow is brought by the State Attorney in the County Court.
The State Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at sao10.com/contact-us, phone 863-534-4800.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at polkclerkfl.gov/297/Court-Records.
Florida has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Florida Public Records Act (Chapter 119).
- The court file: from the County Court, kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller.
- The driving record: from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Bartow arrest records, Bartow police reports and Bartow court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Florida?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Bartow heard?
In the County Court, brought by the State Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at polkclerkfl.gov/297/Court-Records.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Bartow held?
At the county jail, run by the Polk County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Florida?
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Florida?
5 years for a second offense and 10 years for a third.
Is this the official Bartow website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.