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.
Pensacola, Florida, in Escambia County, has about 54,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Pensacola 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: Pensacola public records, Escambia County DUI, Pensacola arrest records, Pensacola warrants, Pensacola criminal records, Pensacola court records, Florida arrest records and Florida inmate search.
The DUI Law in Florida
In Florida the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Pensacola
The Escambia County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Pensacola (filed by the FBI as Pensacola Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Pensacola.
The FBI's agency list also places seven state agencies, two campus police departments and one state police unit in Escambia County (the arrest records guide names each one); the Highway Patrol in Escambia County makes the arrests on the state highways.
Pensacola reported 1,107 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Escambia County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Pensacola
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, held about 1,480 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Pensacola is brought by the State Attorney in the County Court.
The State Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at osa1.org.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at escambiaclerk.com/343/Court-Records-Search-Registration.
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: Pensacola arrest records, Pensacola police reports and Pensacola court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Florida?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Pensacola heard?
In the County Court, brought by the State Attorney.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Pensacola held?
At the county jail, run by the Escambia 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 Pensacola 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.