DUI and criminal defense lawyer for Delray Beach cases

In Delray Beach, the police station and the courthouse that hears the city's misdemeanor and DUI cases are on the same street, one block apart. This page gathers what the city, the court and the State Attorney publish about how a Delray Beach case moves. Mr. Mead's general approach to DUI is on the DUI defense page. Other charges are listed on the criminal defense page. The county as a whole is covered on Palm Beach County DUI and criminal defense.

How does a Delray Beach case move, step by step?

1. The stop or arrest. Inside the city, the Delray Beach Police Department; in the unincorporated areas nearby, PBSO Districts 4 and 6.
2. Release or first appearance. Someone who is not released sees a judge at the jail on Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach within 24 hours.
3. The police report. Reports can be picked up at headquarters after three business days.
4. The license. After a DUI arrest, the 10-day review request goes to FLHSMV's bureau office in Lauderdale Lakes.
5. Arraignment one block east. Misdemeanor, criminal traffic and DUI arraignments are held weekly at the South County Courthouse.
6. Programs, motions or trial. A jury trial request moves the case to the main courthouse in West Palm Beach, according to the State Attorney.

Who makes arrests in Delray Beach?

The Delray Beach Police Department works from 300 W. Atlantic Ave. Outside the city limits, the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit's Administrative Order 4.603 lists two Sheriff's districts nearby: PBSO District 4 for the unincorporated Delray Beach area and District 6 for the unincorporated western Boynton Beach and Delray area.

On traffic, the department is direct about its priorities. Its public FAQ says residents at its annual Town Hall meetings named excessive speed, aggressive driving, red light and stop sign running, and road rage as their main concerns, and that the department "aggressively patrols and strictly enforces the traffic laws" in the city. The same FAQ notes that officers usually ride alone, but two or three officers at a routine stop is normal, and that signing a citation is not an admission of guilt. It also explains that calls are answered by priority, with crimes in progress and danger to life first.

Police reports can be picked up at headquarters after three business days. The city charges no fee for a regular police report and $1 for an accident report, with an optional $5 to have the accident report notarized. The department also offers fingerprinting on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for a $10 fee.

Which Delray Beach rules lead to tickets or charges?

• Alcohol in parks and on the beach: City Code section 101.36(E)(7) prohibits consuming, possessing or selling alcoholic beverages in city parks, recreational facilities and on the municipal beach, except within an authorized special event or on licensed premises. Section 101.36(E)(8) adds that no one may be intoxicated or drink an alcoholic beverage in those places.
• School zone cameras: the city began its school zone camera program with the 2024 to 2025 school year. A Notice of Violation goes to the registered owner when a vehicle exceeds the posted limit by more than 11 mph. The owner has 30 days to pay or request a hearing; if neither happens, a Florida Uniform Traffic Citation is issued. The city says a notice paid at that stage does not affect the license, registration or insurance.
• Equipment citations: after repairing the vehicle, the driver brings it to police headquarters for an officer to inspect and sign the citation, pays a $4.00 inspection fee at the front desk, then pays at the South County Court House: $96.00 if the equipment is in order or $116.00 if it is not.

Ordinary traffic citations are covered on our traffic tickets page; the camera notices above are civil, not criminal.

Where does a Delray Beach case go after an arrest?

Before any court date in Delray Beach, a person who is not released sees a judge at first appearance on Gun Club Road in West Palm Beach. That first day is described in the first 48 hours after an arrest. Release terms are explained in posting bond in Florida. After that, the case comes back to Atlantic Avenue. The building, from the Clerk's counter to parking, is described on our page about what to expect at the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach.

What should I know about a Delray Beach DUI arrest?

Delray Beach has two of the five DUI program locations FLHSMV licenses in Palm Beach County, and the courthouse where the State Attorney's first-time DUI offer has to be accepted, at the arraignment stage, is a block from the police station. The program's terms are quoted on our page about the Palm Beach County first-time DUI program. The license review itself is handled outside the county, at FLHSMV's office in Lauderdale Lakes, within the window explained in keeping your license within 10 days of a DUI arrest. Our step-by-step DUI page covers the rest of the process. A day-by-day plan is in the first-week checklist.

For other charges, the first court date is usually the arraignment, explained in whether you have to go to arraignment. For a first offense, see pretrial diversion in Palm Beach and Broward.

What changes the answer?

• City police or the Sheriff. Delray Beach Police and PBSO Districts 4 and 6 are all in the Southern Region under AO 4.603, so the courthouse is the same, but the reports come from different agencies.
• Where the drinking happened. The city code's ban covers city parks, recreational facilities and the municipal beach, with exceptions for authorized special events and licensed premises.
• A camera notice or a citation. A school zone camera notice is civil; it becomes a Uniform Traffic Citation only if not paid or contested within 30 days.
• A felony charge. Felonies are heard in circuit court (s. 26.012(2)(d)), not on the South County misdemeanor calendar.
• A domestic dispute. The police FAQ sends restraining orders through the South County Court House, and a domestic violence arrest waits for a judge before release (s. 903.011(6)); see our domestic violence defense page.

A worked example

For example, picture a hypothetical visitor arrested for DUI on Atlantic Avenue on a Friday night by Delray Beach police, with a breath result of 0.09. The person is released the next morning, and the notice of suspension starts a 10-day window for a review request to the Lauderdale Lakes bureau office. The police report can be picked up at headquarters on Atlantic Avenue after three business days. The court date is an arraignment one block east at the South County Courthouse. If the person wants to be considered for the State Attorney's first-time program, nothing that would disqualify the case is filed before that date, and a DUI course at one of the two licensed programs on West Atlantic Avenue could be among the pre-conditions. Because the person lives in another state, the home-state license questions are handled separately. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Going to the courthouse to ask for the police report; reports are picked up at police headquarters.
• Paying an equipment citation at the courthouse without the $4.00 police receipt, which adds the fee there.
• Ignoring a school zone camera notice until it turns into a Uniform Traffic Citation.
• Bringing drinks to the municipal beach or a city park.
• Waiting for the Delray Beach court date to deal with the license; the 10 days run first.

What to do this week

1. Read the citation or notice to appear for the agency, the charge and the court date.
2. After three business days, pick up the police report at 300 W. Atlantic Ave.
3. For a DUI, count 10 days from the notice of suspension.
4. Keep the bond paperwork and any tow receipt with the citation.
5. Talk with a lawyer before the arraignment.

Questions people ask after a Delray Beach arrest

Keeping the license

• Contesting the suspension is covered in a formal review at the bureau office.
• A restricted license for work is explained in hardship driving privileges.
• The device some drivers need is covered in interlock periods by conviction.
• The insurance certificate is covered in FR-44 requirements.
• The two West Atlantic Avenue programs appear on our list of licensed DUI schools.

The evidence

• A refusal on Atlantic Avenue is covered in the refusal penalties.
• The breath instrument is governed by FDLE's breath testing rules.
• A blood draw after a collision is covered in blood testing in DUI cases.
• Medication and cannabis allegations are discussed in non-alcohol DUI.
• Drivers under 21 are covered in the 0.02 rule.
• Visitors from other states should read DUI and a home-state license.

Penalties and outcomes

• Sentencing ranges are listed in DUI penalties by conviction.
• A crash changes the charge, as explained in DUI and a collision.
• The most serious crash charge is covered in DUI manslaughter.
• The total bill is itemized in the cost of a DUI.
• A towed car is covered in vehicle impound after a DUI.
• A reckless driving plea is weighed in reduction to reckless driving.
• Sealing is covered in clearing a DUI record.
• A withheld adjudication is explained in what a withhold means.
• Early endings are discussed in dropped charges.
• Deadlines for trial are in speedy trial limits.
• Misdemeanor and felony maximums are in the degree chart.
• Felony points are explained in the sentencing scoresheet.
• Self-defense claims are covered in immunity hearings.
• Carrying a gun is covered in concealed carry law.
• A felony record and a gun are covered in felon in possession.

Traffic tickets

• A Delray Beach traffic citation can be resolved by mail, by school or at a hearing; the trade-offs are in our ticket options guide.
• Points from Delray Beach tickets are counted under the state point system.

Criminal traffic charges

• Delray Beach suspended-license arrests are explained in when driving while suspended is a crime.
• A reckless driving citation on Atlantic Avenue is compared with careless driving in reckless versus careless.
• Which Delray Beach citations need court is set out in the criminal or civil ticket guide.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Delray Beach Police Department?

At 300 W. Atlantic Ave., one block west of the South County Courthouse.

Where do I pay a Delray Beach traffic ticket?

The police department says to pay or dispute it at the South County Court House, 200 W. Atlantic Ave., phone (561) 274-1400.

How do I get a Delray Beach police report?

Pick it up at headquarters after three business days; a regular report is free and an accident report costs $1.

Is drinking allowed on Delray Beach's beach?

No. City Code section 101.36(E)(7) prohibits alcohol on the municipal beach and in city parks, except within an authorized special event or on licensed premises.

Do Delray Beach school zone cameras give points?

The city says a notice paid at the notice stage does not affect the license, registration or insurance; an unpaid notice becomes a Uniform Traffic Citation.

Which nearby cities do we also cover?

Delray Beach sits between two cities with pages of their own. To the south is Boca Raton, where the office is. To the north is Boynton Beach. Both are in the same Southern Region, so their misdemeanor and DUI cases go to the same courthouse.

Who handles the case?

Mr. Mead's office is in Boca Raton, at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, in the same court region as Delray Beach. Criminal defense is the whole of his practice, and he has defended DUI cases in South Florida for more than three decades. He works with each client one-on-one; you can call 24 hours, and Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. See the firm overview.

Every case is different, and no result can be promised. If you or someone in your family was arrested in Delray Beach, a confidential phone call to (561) 362-6677 is a sound first step.

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