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 on September 23, 2026.
Highlands County, Florida, has about 110,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Highlands County 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: Highlands County public records, Highlands County arrest records, Highlands County warrants, Highlands County inmate search, Highlands County criminal 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 Highlands County
The Highlands County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Sebring and Lake Placid make the DUI arrests in Highlands County.
The FBI's agency list also places five state agencies and one state police unit in Highlands County (the arrest records guide names each one); the Highway Patrol in Highlands County makes the arrests on the state highways.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Highlands County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, held about 470 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at highlandssheriff.gov/inmateSearch, phone (863) 402-7200. The Highlands County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The State Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the County Court.
The State Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at highlandsfl.gov, phone (863) 402-6501.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at highlandsclerkfl.gov/popular_services/court_records_search/index.php, phone 863-402-6785.
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: Highlands County arrest records, Highlands County police reports and Highlands County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Florida?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Highlands County heard?
In the County Court, brought by the State Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at highlandsclerkfl.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Highlands County held?
At the county jail, run by the Highlands 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 Highlands County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.