How much does a DUI cost in Florida beyond the fine?

The fine is only the first line on the bill. A Florida DUI conviction brings court costs that several statutes require, the cost of probation and of the court-ordered DUI program, device and storage charges, and fees to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) before the license comes back. This page lists the amounts the law itself sets, with the statute for each, so you can see what is fixed and what varies. Mr. Mead's approach to the charge is on the main DUI defense page.

For a first conviction the fine itself is $500 to $1,000, or $1,000 to $2,000 if the alcohol level was 0.15 or higher or a passenger under 18 was in the vehicle (s. 316.193(2)(a), (4)(a)). The ranges for second and later convictions, and the jail limits, are on our Florida DUI penalties page. Everything below is in addition to the fine.

When do the costs come due, step by step?

A DUI case produces bills at five points, and some arrive long before any court date:

1. At the arrest. The car is often towed, and a towing company that stores it at police request can claim a lien for towing and storage (s. 713.78). Getting out of jail may also take a bond, explained on our page about how bond works in Florida.
2. Within 10 days. A request for a formal or informal review of the license suspension carries a $25 filing fee, and a hardship hearing a $12 filing fee (FLHSMV fee schedule).
3. At sentencing. The fine and the court costs in the table below are imposed. The court must include the prosecution costs in the judgment even if the person cannot pay them now, but it can set a period or a payment plan (s. 938.27(2)).
4. During probation. Supervision fees, the DUI program, community service, the impound or immobilization, and any ignition interlock are paid along the way.
5. At reinstatement. FLHSMV collects its reinstatement and license fees, and the driver must show the higher insurance limits that follow a DUI conviction.

What does the court add to the fine?

Several of these costs apply "regardless of whether adjudication is withheld," so they follow a plea to a reduced charge as well (ss. 938.06(3), 938.27(1)). This table covers the statewide amounts in the statutes cited; it is not a complete bill for any one case.

What does probation require me to pay for?

Every DUI conviction comes with monthly reporting probation and a substance abuse course from a licensed DUI program, which must include a psychosocial evaluation (s. 316.193(5)). The statute says the offender "shall assume reasonable costs for such education, evaluation, and treatment," including any treatment the program refers the person to. Each DUI program also collects a $15 state assessment at enrollment (s. 322.293(2)), which FLHSMV's fee schedule lists as the "DUI program fee (assessed by the program)." FLHSMV regulates the programs and sets by rule how their fees are approved (s. 322.292(2)), so the course price comes from the program. Where to enroll is covered on our page about DUI school in Palm Beach and Broward County.

A first conviction also requires at least 50 hours of community service. The court may let a person pay $10 for each hour instead only if it finds that the person's location or job would make the service an undue hardship (s. 316.193(6)(a)).

Who pays for the interlock and the impound?

The driver pays for both. An ignition interlock, when required, is placed "at the convicted person's sole expense" (s. 316.193(2)(a)3.), and the installer collects $12 for FLHSMV with each installation (s. 322.2715(5)). The required periods are listed on our page about when an ignition interlock is required after a Florida DUI.

The court must also order a vehicle impounded or immobilized, for 10 days on a first conviction, and "all costs and fees for the impoundment or immobilization" are paid by the owner unless the order is dismissed (s. 316.193(6)(a), (k)). What that order involves, and how to avoid paying twice for storage, is explained in what happens to your car after a Florida DUI.

What does it cost to get the license back?

The $75 or $45 service fee is "in addition to the fee for a license," and the $130 fee is not collected if the suspension or revocation is overturned (s. 322.21(8)). FLHSMV's DUI questions page says that at reinstatement after a DUI conviction the driver must take all required exams and pay the administrative fee, the revocation reinstatement fee and all license fees. A tax collector office may add a service fee to some credentials, according to the same fee schedule. Driving to work during the revocation is covered on our page about a hardship license after a Florida DUI.

What changes the answer?

• The alcohol level and passengers. A reading of 0.15 or higher, or a passenger under 18, doubles the fine range for a first conviction and makes the interlock mandatory for at least 6 months (s. 316.193(4)).
• Prior DUI convictions. Fines rise with each conviction, a second conviction within 5 years brings at least 10 days in jail and a 30-day impound, and a third within 10 years is a felony with a $225 felony court cost instead of $60 (ss. 316.193(2), (6)(b); 938.05(1)(a)).
• A crash. Injury or damage changes the charge, and a conviction does not bar a civil suit for damages (s. 316.193(7)), as explained in what happens when a DUI involves a crash.
• How the case ends. The $135 DUI court cost attaches to a DUI fine under section 316.193, while a plea to a reduced charge carries that charge's own costs.
• Ability to pay. The court can convert part of the fine to community service, valued at no less than the federal minimum wage, if it finds the defendant unable to pay (s. 316.193(6)), and it can apply part of the fine to a required interlock (s. 316.1937(2)(d)). The $50 Crimes Compensation cost "shall not be waived" (s. 938.03(2)).

A worked example

For example, take a hypothetical first DUI conviction with a breath reading of 0.09, no crash and no passengers. The fine starts at $500. The statutes then add $135 under section 938.07, $60 under section 938.05, $50 under section 938.03, $20 under section 938.06 and $3 under section 938.01, plus at least $50 in prosecution costs, for a floor of $818 before probation. If the court set 12 months of misdemeanor probation, supervision alone would be at least $480 at $40 a month. The DUI program's course and the $15 assessment, the 10-day impound or immobilization, and any treatment the program recommends come next. At reinstatement after the revocation, the state fees would be $75 plus $130 plus the license fee, before the higher insurance premium. The real bill in any case depends on the judge, the county and the facts.

Is there a local example of what a first DUI can cost?

The Palm Beach County State Attorney's first-time DUI program, which ends with a nolle prosequi on the DUI count for those it accepts who complete it, lists its own costs by tier: a "$250 fine & standard court costs" in the first tier, the same plus a "$250 donation to Palm Beach County Victim Services" in the second, and a "$500 fine and Court Costs" for refusals. Each tier also calls for random alcohol and drug testing "at Defendant's expense." Admission is at the State Attorney's discretion; the terms are on our page about the Palm Beach County first-time DUI program.

Does a DUI change what insurance I must carry?

Yes. After a DUI conviction or plea entered after October 1, 2007, Florida requires liability limits of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per crash and $50,000 for property damage, for at least 3 years (s. 324.023). The insurer, not the state, sets the premium. The details are on our page about FR-44 insurance after a Florida DUI.

Common mistakes people make

• Budgeting only for the fine and being surprised by court costs, probation fees and reinstatement fees.
• Leaving the car at the tow yard for weeks, while storage charges keep running.
• Missing the 10-day license deadline, which can mean losing driving time that a $25 filing could have addressed.
• Not telling the court about real hardship, when the statute allows community service in place of part of the fine.
• Letting required insurance lapse after reinstatement, which FLHSMV says can bring a new suspension and a reinstatement fee of up to $500.
• Paying for a DUI school outside the county where you live, work or study, which FLHSMV says is not allowed.

What to do this week

1. Find out where the car is and what the daily storage charge is.
2. Decide, with a lawyer, how to handle the 10-day license deadline; the options are on our page about keeping your license within 10 days.
3. Keep every receipt: bond, tow, filing fees and program payments.
4. Call your insurer only after you understand how a conviction or plea would affect the policy.
5. Write down your work and family driving needs, which matter for a hardship license and for impound questions.

Frequently asked questions

Can the court waive DUI court costs?

Not all of them. The $50 Crimes Compensation cost cannot be waived under section 938.03(2), and prosecution costs must be imposed regardless of present ability to pay, though the court can set a payment plan. The court can, however, substitute community service for part of the DUI fine on a finding that the person cannot pay.

Do I pay court costs if my DUI is reduced to reckless driving?

Yes, a plea to a reduced criminal traffic charge still carries court costs, and several of them apply even when adjudication is withheld. The $135 DUI cost is tied to a DUI fine, so it follows the DUI statute rather than the reduced charge.

How much is DUI school?

The program sets its course price under FLHSMV's rules, so no statute gives a single figure. The $15 state assessment is collected at enrollment, and second and third offenders under supervision pay it again on each anniversary (s. 322.293(2)).

Who pays the tow bill after a DUI arrest?

The vehicle owner. A towing company that tows at police request can claim a lien for towing and storage and must send the registered owner a certified-mail notice with an itemized statement of the charges (s. 713.78(4)).

Is the interlock fee paid to the state or the vendor?

Both, in a sense. The vendor charges for the device and its service, and the installer also collects $12 per installation and sends it to FLHSMV (s. 322.2715(5)).

Do the costs change in Broward instead of Palm Beach?

The statewide court costs and FLHSMV fees on this page are the same in both counties. Local programs differ: Broward's State Attorney runs its own diversion programs, described on our page about pretrial diversion in Palm Beach and Broward.

How can Mr. Mead help?

Much of the cost of a DUI depends on how the case ends: whether there is a conviction, what the alcohol reading was, and what happens with the license in the first 10 days. Mr. Mead walks through those choices with you early, when they still matter. Every case is different, and no outcome can be promised. For a confidential conversation, call (561) 362-6677, 24 hours a day.

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