DUI and criminal defense lawyer for Palm Beach Gardens cases

In the north end of the county, county court cases are heard on PGA Boulevard rather than in downtown West Palm Beach. This page gathers what the court, the Clerk, the State Attorney and the city publish about how a Palm Beach Gardens case moves. Mr. Mead's approach to DUI is on the DUI defense page. Other charges are listed in the criminal defense practice areas.

How does a Palm Beach Gardens case move, step by step?

1. The stop. Palm Beach Gardens police, often the Traffic Division or one of its two DUI officers, or a PBSO deputy from a northern district.
2. Gun Club Road. Anyone not released sees a judge at the jail in West Palm Beach within 24 hours.
3. Records. The police report is free from the Records Division.
4. The license. After a DUI arrest, the 10-day request goes to FLHSMV's bureau office in Lauderdale Lakes.
5. Back to PGA Boulevard. Arraignments and non-jury trials are held weekly at the North County Courthouse.
6. Jury trial. If one is requested, the case moves to the main courthouse in West Palm Beach.

What happens at the North County Courthouse?

The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit's Administrative Order 4.603 sends every case assigned to the Northern Region to the North County Courthouse. The region runs north from the city limits of West Palm Beach, bounded on the west by State Road 710 (Beeline Highway). The order lists Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Riviera Beach, Tequesta, Juno Beach and North Palm Beach police, FHP Troop J and K units marked NB, and PBSO Districts 2, 3, 10 and 20 among the agencies whose mandatory-hearing citations are scheduled there.

If a jury trial is requested, the State Attorney says the case moves to the main courthouse in West Palm Beach. How arraignment works, and when a lawyer can file a written plea instead, is on our page about whether you have to go to arraignment in Florida.

How does the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department enforce DUI and traffic laws?

The department, at 10500 North Military Trail, has 139 sworn officers and 76 civilian staff, according to its 2025 annual report. Its Traffic Division consists of a sergeant, four motorcycle officers, four crash investigators and two DUI officers, and the city lists "Traffic and DUI Enforcement" and speed and aggressive driving enforcement among its programs. The annual report says the Traffic Unit used Florida Department of Transportation grants for enforcement aimed at speeding, impaired driving, aggressive driving and seat belt use, and ran 174 enforcement operations in 2025.

What records and technology can matter in a Palm Beach Gardens case?

• Police reports: the city says there is no charge for a copy of a police report, available through the Records Division at 561.799.4470.
• License plate readers: the department says it has used automated license plate readers since 2004, to locate stolen vehicles, violent criminals, missing people and people in a mental health crisis, with access limited to authorized, trained users and a 30-day retention period.
• Golf carts: on July 9, 2026, the City Council adopted Ordinance 17, 2026, allowing golf carts on designated roads. The city says golf carts may use roadways posted at 25 mph or less, are barred from roads such as US Highway 1, PGA Boulevard, Military Trail and Northlake Boulevard, and that anyone driving one in a travel lane must carry a valid driver license or learner's license. That last rule matters to a driver whose license is suspended after a DUI.

Where does a Palm Beach Gardens case go after an arrest?

After an arrest, anyone not released is taken before a judge in West Palm Beach, at the State Attorney's branch office in the jail building on Gun Club Road, as explained in what happens in the first 48 hours after an arrest. Bond is covered in how bond works in Florida. The county court case then returns to PGA Boulevard, to the North County Courthouse described above.

Two license offices matter after a DUI. The Tax Collector's North County Service Center, at 3185 PGA Blvd., provides driver license services by reservation only. License reviews after a DUI arrest are handled by FLHSMV's Bureau of Administrative Reviews in Lauderdale Lakes, which accepts the request forms by email.

What should I know about a Palm Beach Gardens DUI arrest?

The State Attorney's first-time DUI program lists North County among the satellite courthouses where its plea must be entered at arraignment, so for a Palm Beach Gardens case that timing runs through PGA Boulevard; the terms are on our page about the Palm Beach County first-time DUI program. FLHSMV's licensed DUI programs in Palm Beach County are listed in West Palm Beach and Delray Beach, not in the city. On the license side, the deadline is short and is explained in the 10-day license rule after a DUI arrest. The rest of the process is in what happens after a DUI arrest in Florida. The first days are laid out in a first-week checklist. For a first offense on another charge, see pretrial diversion in Palm Beach and Broward.

What changes the answer?

• The agency. City police and PBSO Districts 2, 3, 10 and 20 all send Northern Region citations to PGA Boulevard under AO 4.603.
• A golf cart. Ordinance 17, 2026 requires a valid driver license or learner's license to drive one in a travel lane, which a driver under a DUI suspension may not have.
• Plate reader data. The department keeps automated license plate reader data for 30 days.
• A jury trial request. It moves the case to West Palm Beach.
• A felony. Felonies are circuit court cases (s. 26.012(2)(d)), not North County misdemeanor calendar matters.

A worked example

For example, picture a hypothetical driver stopped on PGA Boulevard by a Palm Beach Gardens DUI officer during one of the department's grant-funded impaired driving operations, and arrested after a 0.11 breath result. After bonding out, the driver picks up a free copy of the report from the Records Division and, within 10 days, files a license request with FLHSMV. The arraignment is at the North County Courthouse, where the driver parks free behind the building. If the driver qualifies for and wants the State Attorney's first-time program, the plea comes at that arraignment. Meanwhile, the driver cannot use a golf cart in a travel lane on a suspended license, because the city requires a valid license there. This is a hypothetical walk-through, not a prediction.

Common mistakes people make

• Going to the main courthouse downtown when the notice says North County.
• Driving a golf cart while the license is suspended.
• Waiting past 30 days to ask whether plate reader data exists.
• Looking for a DUI school in Palm Beach Gardens; FLHSMV lists none in the city.

What to do this week

1. Get the free police report from the Records Division.
2. For a DUI, count 10 days from the notice of suspension.
3. Check the court notice for the North County Courthouse date.
4. Ask a lawyer early about any video or data worth preserving.
5. Keep all release and tow papers together.

Questions people ask after a Palm Beach Gardens arrest

Driving privileges

• Disputing the suspension is covered in the formal review process.
• A work-only license is covered in hardship licenses in Florida.
• West Palm Beach and Delray Beach programs are on our list of licensed DUI courses.
• Interlock periods are in when an interlock is ordered.
• Insurance is covered in FR-44 after a conviction.

Evidence and special cases

• A refusal is covered in the consequences of refusing.
• Breath testing is governed by Florida's breath test regulations.
• One of the city's 1,514 crash investigations could involve a blood draw.
• Drug or medication allegations are covered in drugged driving charges.
• Drivers under 21 are covered in underage drinking and driving.
• Visitors should read DUI for non-Florida drivers.

Penalties and outcomes

• Sentencing ranges are in penalties for a Florida DUI.
• Crashes are covered in DUI with damage or injury.
• Fatal crash charges are explained in the DUI manslaughter statute.
• The full cost is in court costs and fees after a DUI.
• Impound orders are in impoundment and immobilization.
• A lesser plea is weighed in reckless driving pleas.
• Sealing is covered in sealing and DUI cases.
• A withhold is explained in the withhold of adjudication.
• Dismissals are covered in how charges get dropped.
• Trial limits are in the speedy trial deadlines.
• Maximums are in Florida's degree chart.
• Felony scoring is in the felony points worksheet.
• Self-defense claims are covered in immunity from prosecution.
• Carry rules are in carrying a concealed firearm.
• A gun and a felony record are covered in possession by a convicted felon.

Traffic tickets

• Palm Beach Gardens tickets can be paid at the North County Courthouse; whether to pay at all is weighed in the ticket options guide.
• Points from a Palm Beach Gardens ticket count statewide; see license points and suspensions.

Criminal traffic charges

• A Palm Beach Gardens suspended-license case is explained in driving while suspended.
• PGA Boulevard reckless driving stops are compared with careless driving in the reckless driving page.
• The State Attorney holds weekly criminal traffic arraignments at the Palm Beach Gardens courthouse; see criminal or civil tickets.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the North County Courthouse?

At 3188 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens; from I-95, exit east on PGA Blvd. and turn right onto Campus Drive, with free parking behind the courthouse.

How many DUI arrests did Palm Beach Gardens police make?

156 in 2025, according to the department's annual report, out of 10,402 traffic stops.

Is a Palm Beach Gardens police report free?

Yes. The city says there is no charge for a copy of a police report from the Records Division.

Can I drive a golf cart after a DUI suspension?

Not in a travel lane on a city road; the city requires a valid driver license or learner's license to do so.

Where do Palm Beach Gardens drivers renew or reinstate a license?

The Tax Collector's North County Service Center at 3185 PGA Blvd. provides driver license services by reservation only.

Which nearby cities do we also cover?

To the south, West Palm Beach is in the Central Region. To the north, Jupiter shares the North County Courthouse. The county overview is on our Palm Beach County page.

Who handles the case?

Criminal defense is all Mr. Mead does, and clients work with him directly, one-on-one. His office is at 370 W. Camino Gardens Blvd., Suite 333, in Boca Raton. You can call 24 hours, and Spanish and Portuguese are spoken. More about him 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 Palm Beach Gardens, a confidential phone call to (561) 362-6677 is a sound first step.

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