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.
Pinellas County, Florida, has about 966,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Pinellas 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: Pinellas County public records, Pinellas County arrest records, Pinellas County warrants, Pinellas County inmate search, Pinellas County 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 Pinellas County
The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park, Dunedin, Tarpon Springs and 16 more cities make the DUI arrests in Pinellas County.
The FBI's agency list also places six state agencies, one other agency, one campus police department and one state police unit in Pinellas County (the arrest records guide names each one); the Highway Patrol in Pinellas County makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 19 agencies in Pinellas County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 16,944 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Pinellas County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Pinellas 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 Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, held about 2,950 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 whosinjail.pinellassheriff.gov. The Pinellas 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 flsa6.gov.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courtrecords.mypinellasclerk.gov.
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: Pinellas County arrest records, Pinellas County police reports and Pinellas County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Florida?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Pinellas County heard?
In the County Court, brought by the State Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courtrecords.mypinellasclerk.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Pinellas County held?
At the county jail, run by the Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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.