DUI and criminal cases in Miami-Dade County: courts, jail, programs and local facts

Miami-Dade's county court is the busiest in the office's service area, and it differs from Palm Beach and Broward in ways that matter in the first days: a separate jail department, a county-wide bond hearing schedule, district courts across the county and a State Attorney program for first-time DUI cases. Each fact below comes from the office that publishes it. For the charges the office handles, see the criminal defense practice areas. Drunk driving cases are covered on the main DUI defense page.

How does a Miami-Dade case move, step by step?

1. Arrest. The Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office or a city police department makes the arrest and takes the person to a county jail facility.
2. Booking at TGK. Corrections staff verify identity, screen health needs, store property and set any bond.
3. Bond or a hearing. Most people can post the standard bond. Those who cannot, and anyone held on a domestic violence charge, a probation violation or a non-bondable charge, see a judge within 24 hours.
4. The filing decision. The State Attorney's Office decides whether to file formal charges, and in which court.
5. Arraignment. Felonies are usually set for arraignment on the 21st day after arrest; misdemeanors and DUI go to county court at the Gerstein building or a district court.
6. Programs or litigation. Diversion, Back on Track, a treatment court, or discovery, motions and trial.

Who makes arrests, and where is someone booked?

On January 7, 2025, the Miami-Dade Police Department became the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office, an independent constitutional office run by an elected sheriff, according to the county's adopted budget for 2025-26. The same document calls it the largest local law enforcement agency in the southeastern United States, serving an estimated 2.8 million residents.

The jails are not run by the Sheriff. The Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department does, and its family guidance says arrested people are taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center (TGK), 7000 NW 41st Street, for processing, which may take several hours depending on intake volume. Bond can be paid in full at the facility through the Touch-Pay kiosk, or a licensed bail bond agent can post it for a fee. The inmate information line is 786-263-7000. TGK is also the designated release center, with releases between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Other adult jails include the Pre-trial Detention Center, 1321 NW 13th Street, and Metro West Detention Center, 13850 NW 41st Street (Public Defender). How bond is set under Florida law, and what a family can do in the first hours, is explained in how bond is set after an arrest in Florida.

Where are bond hearings and first appearances held?

The Public Defender's Office says all bond hearings, other than weekday domestic violence hearings, are held at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building, 1351 NW 12th Street. The Clerk's Office says felony bond hearings run Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., by video between the courtroom and the jail, and misdemeanor jail arraignments run at the same times in Courtroom 5-3. Weekday domestic violence first appearances are at 11 a.m. at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 NW 1st Avenue, according to the Public Defender. The courtroom numbers, the weekend schedule and what the hearing covers are on our page about what to expect at the Gerstein Justice Building after an arrest.

Which courthouse hears a Miami-Dade misdemeanor or DUI case?

The Eleventh Judicial Circuit says its County Court Criminal Division handles misdemeanors such as petit theft, simple battery and trespassing, criminal traffic matters such as DUI, driving while license suspended and no valid driver license, ordinance violations and civil traffic infractions. Felonies go to the Circuit Criminal Division, whose judges all sit at the Gerstein building. County criminal judges sit at the Gerstein building and at five branch locations. The Clerk of the Court and Comptroller lists its full-service district courts as follows.

The Miami Beach move began on April 14, 2025, because of repairs at the Historic City Hall building. The circuit's notice says a county criminal or traffic case number that begins with "M", "B" or "A" is now heard at the Gerstein building, Courtroom 1-1 on the first floor. As everywhere, the courthouse printed on the court notice is the one to follow, and the reasons for going in person are covered in whether you have to go to your arraignment in Florida.

How are domestic violence cases handled in Miami-Dade?

The circuit created a Domestic Violence Division of seven judges, based at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, that hears restraining order cases, violation of injunction cases, misdemeanor family violence cases and risk protection order cases. It also runs a Domestic Violence Drug Court calendar and a Thursday-morning Domestic Violence Mental Health Court. The Public Defender explains that a person arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge stays in jail until the first appearance hearing, that the judge at that hearing also issues an order barring contact with the alleged victim, and that a defendant who cannot post bond is set for a jail report hearing in the division within four days. The office's broader domestic violence defense page explains how Mr. Mead approaches these cases. Restraining order hearings are explained in what happens at an injunction for protection hearing. The statewide arrest rules are in what happens after a domestic violence arrest.

How many cases does the Miami-Dade County Court handle?

The same report counts 1,489 DUI dispositions in Miami-Dade that year. The total is roughly double Palm Beach County's 43,852, mostly from non-DUI criminal traffic, yet Miami-Dade had fewer DUI filings than Palm Beach (2,678) or Broward (2,917). The Public Defender reports that the State files charges in about 60 percent of arrests involving adults.

Which programs can change how a Miami-Dade case ends?

• Back on Track (DUI): the State Attorney describes it as "a DUI diversion program for defendants arrested for driving under the influence." Prosecutors decide whether a first-time DUI defendant is eligible, based on criminal history, driving history and the circumstances of the arrest, and those who complete it "will have an opportunity to receive a withhold of adjudication on a reduced charge of Reckless Driving." How that kind of reduction works in Florida law is explained in whether a DUI can be reduced to reckless driving.
• Pre-trial Diversion: the State Attorney offers it to people with non-violent priors and drops the charges if every condition is completed and the person stays arrest-free. The Public Defender adds that acceptance depends on the victim, the arresting officer, the prosecutor and the judge, and that a participant gives up the right to a speedy trial.
• Supervision costs: the Advocate Program supervises misdemeanor diversion and probation cases and may charge up to $150 for a six-month supervision period, depending on ability to pay, according to the Public Defender.
• Treatment courts: Drug Court for felony possession or purchase charges, a Mental Health Court for defendants with serious mental illness, and a Veterans Treatment Court that lasts 14 to 18 months.
• Drive Legal: the Clerk screens every driving while license suspended citation for this diversion program, which can end in dismissal.

None of these programs is automatic. How Florida's pretrial intervention law works, and how the programs in Palm Beach and Broward compare, is on our page about pretrial diversion in Florida.

How are felony charges filed in Miami-Dade?

The State Attorney's Office is in the E.R. Graham Building, 1350 NW 12th Avenue, Miami. According to the Public Defender, the prosecutor has 30 days from arrest to file an information, nearly every felony defendant is set for arraignment on the 21st day, and no one may be held more than 40 days without an information. How dismissals happen before trial is covered in whether criminal charges can be dropped before trial. The outer time limits are in Florida's speedy trial deadlines.

Where do Miami-Dade drivers handle the license side of a DUI?

A DUI arrest starts an administrative suspension with a 10-day deadline that runs whatever happens in court; the steps are on our page about keeping your license within 10 days of a DUI arrest. FLHSMV's Miami-Dade listing shows driver license and motor vehicle offices that take appointments through the county Tax Collector, including Downtown Miami at 200 NW 2nd Avenue and Coral Gables at 224 Minorca Avenue. Driving to work during a suspension is covered in a hardship license after a Florida DUI.

What changes the answer?

• Misdemeanor or felony. County court hears misdemeanors and criminal traffic (s. 34.01); circuit court has jurisdiction of all felonies (s. 26.012(2)(d)).
• A domestic violence charge. The person is held until first appearance, and the State Attorney must research the defendant's history before that hearing (s. 741.2901(3)).
• The time limit for the first hearing. A person in custody must be taken before a judge within 24 hours of arrest (Fla. R. Crim. P. 3.130).
• Where the case was filed. A Miami Beach case number starting with M, B or A goes to Courtroom 1-1 at the Gerstein building while the Miami Beach courthouse is closed.

A worked example

For example, picture a hypothetical Boca Raton driver arrested for a first DUI on a Saturday night in Miami Beach. The driver is taken to TGK for booking, and if bond is posted, is released at TGK rather than in Miami Beach. The court date is in county court, and with the Miami Beach courthouse closed, a case number starting with "M" sends it to Courtroom 1-1 at the Gerstein building. Whether Back on Track is offered depends on the driver's record and the stop. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Waiting for a release anywhere but TGK.
• Expecting a domestic violence arrestee to bond out before the first hearing.
• Going to the old Miami Beach courthouse instead of the location on the current notice.
• Assuming Back on Track is offered to everyone with a first DUI.
• Missing the 10-day license deadline while focused on the criminal case.

What to do this week

1. Call the Corrections inmate information line for the charges, jail number and bond.
2. Read every paper from the arrest for the courtroom, the date and the case number.
3. For a DUI, act on the 10-day license deadline.
4. Collect witness names, messages, photos and receipts.
5. Talk to a defense attorney before the arraignment.

Questions people ask about a Miami-Dade case

Right after the arrest

• A checklist for drivers is in the first week after a DUI arrest.
• The full sequence is in what happens after a DUI arrest, step by step.
• Drivers from other states should read what a Florida DUI means for a home-state license.

The driver license

• The hearing that can challenge the suspension is described in the DUI formal review hearing.
• Device requirements are covered in when an ignition interlock is required.
• Insurance rules are in FR-44 insurance after a DUI.

Tests and evidence

• Saying no to the test is covered in refusing the breath test in Florida.
• The instrument rules are in how a Florida breath test is done.
• Blood draws after a crash are covered in when police can take your blood.
• Impairment by medication is covered in DUI for marijuana or prescription drugs.
• Drivers under 21 should read the rules for an underage driver who was drinking.

Penalties and costs

• The sentencing ranges are in Florida DUI penalties.
• Fees, courses and other costs are added up in the real cost of a Florida DUI.
• The car is covered in vehicle impoundment after a DUI.
• The required course is explained in Florida DUI school.
• Crashes with damage or injury are covered in a DUI with a crash.
• The most serious charge is explained in DUI manslaughter in Florida.
• Every degree of crime is in the Florida criminal penalties chart.
• Felony points are explained in the Florida sentencing scoresheet.

Weapons and self-defense

• Immunity hearings are covered in stand-your-ground immunity.
• Carry rules are explained in carrying a concealed gun without a license.
• A prior felony and a gun are covered in the felon-in-possession penalty.

How the case ends and the record

• Plea outcomes are explained in what a withhold of adjudication means.
• The record afterward is covered in whether a DUI can be sealed.

Other charges, minors and probation

• The felony line for stolen property is in when theft becomes a felony in Florida.
• Store detentions and civil demand letters are covered in after a shoplifting arrest.
• Degrees for entering a car, store or home are in burglary in Florida.
• Possession charges and the license suspension are in Florida drug possession penalties.
• The weights behind a trafficking count are in trafficking thresholds and minimums.
• Threats, shoves and weapons are compared in assault, battery and aggravated battery.
• Cases involving minors are explained in what happens after a juvenile arrest, which describes the statewide rules.
• Marijuana limits and the medical program are in marijuana possession in Florida.
• Holds on probation warrants are covered in bond on a probation violation in Florida.
• Paperwork and deadlines for a new case are in what to do in the first week after a charge.
• Whether an old case can be cleared is explained in who can seal or expunge a Florida record.

Criminal traffic charges

• Points from Miami-Dade tickets count toward the limits in the Florida points thresholds.
• A Miami-Dade stop for driving while suspended is analyzed in when a suspended license becomes a crime.
• Repeat license charges lead to a habitual traffic offender revocation.
• Leaving a crash in Miami-Dade is graded in the hit-and-run penalties page.
• Reckless driving charges heard in the county court districts are compared in reckless versus careless driving.
• Whether a Miami-Dade citation needs court is explained in criminal and civil traffic tickets.
• A failure to stop for a Sheriff's Office deputy is covered in fleeing or eluding in Florida.
• Street takeovers and stunt driving are charged under section 316.191.

Frequently asked questions

Where do people go after an arrest in Miami-Dade?

Corrections says arrested people are taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, 7000 NW 41st Street, for booking. Releases also happen at TGK, between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Is the Miami-Dade jail run by the Sheriff?

No. The Sheriff's Office, created on January 7, 2025, handles law enforcement, while the county's Corrections and Rehabilitation Department runs the jails.

What is Back on Track?

It is the State Attorney's DUI diversion program for first-time DUI defendants it finds eligible. Completing it gives an opportunity for a withhold of adjudication on a reduced charge of reckless driving.

Does Miami-Dade have a separate court for domestic violence?

Yes. A Domestic Violence Division of seven judges at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center hears restraining orders, injunction violations and misdemeanor family violence cases.

Is a Miami-Dade case handled by the same office as a Palm Beach case?

No. Miami-Dade is the Eleventh Judicial Circuit with its own State Attorney. Our Palm Beach County page covers the Fifteenth Circuit's courts.

How can Mr. Mead help with a Miami-Dade case?

Mr. Mead's practice is devoted entirely to criminal defense, with more than three decades in South Florida courts, and he works one-on-one with each client. The office is at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, Boca Raton. Our Broward County page covers the courts in between. The nearest Broward city page is Hollywood. Spanish and Portuguese are spoken, and you can call 24 hours. His background is on the firm overview page.

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

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