duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The circuit’s County Criminal Division presides over traffic crimes and criminal misdemeanors; felonies go to Circuit Criminal.
- Polk has three court locations: Bartow, the Lakeland Branch at 930 E. Parker St., and Lake Alfred.
- Polk runs a D.U.I. Drug Court for repeat DUI offenders, entered on a plea and served on supervised probation.
- Its three phases last at least 12 months for a misdemeanor and 24 months for a felony, the brochure shows.
- The clerk’s e-Notify service sends a text or email 7 and/or 14 days before a hearing.
- 10 days to request review of the administrative suspension.
from the date you were served with the notice to demand a hearing from Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The request goes to the department, not to the court, and no judge in Polk County will make it for you. Fla. Stat. § 322.2615(1)(b)3.
Lakeland is in Polk County, one of three counties in Florida’s Tenth Judicial Circuit with Hardee and Highlands. The circuit lists its County Court divisions separately from its Circuit Court ones, and its County Criminal Division presides over animal, marine, traffic infractions and traffic crimes, county and municipal ordinances, and criminal misdemeanors. A felony DUI goes to the Circuit Criminal Division, which presides over all felony cases.
This page covers the Polk County courts and the program the circuit runs for repeat DUI offenders. The penalties, the lookback and the license rules are on the Florida DUI law page.
The same diagram as a table
| Step | Criminal case — decided by a court | License case — decided by a state agency |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrest and booking, hour 0 | Notice of suspension served, day 0 |
| 2 | Charge filed by the prosecutor | Deadline to demand a hearing: 7 to 30 days in the eight states on this site that use an agency hearing |
| 3 | First court setting, on a date the court picks | Hearing held if the request was filed — whether the suspension waits for the ruling is set by each state's statute |
| 4 | One or more pretrial settings | Suspension takes effect automatically with no hearing |
| 5 | Trial, plea or dismissal | — |
| Clock | Weeks to months. No filing deadline runs against the driver. | Counted in days from the notice, and fixed by statute. |
Where a Lakeland DUI is heard
The Tenth Circuit lists three Polk County court locations: the Polk County Courthouse at 255 N. Broadway Ave. in Bartow, the Northeast Polk Government Center at 200 Government Center Blvd. in Lake Alfred, and the Lakeland Branch at 930 East Parker Street. All three share the number 863-534-4000. The Polk County Clerk keeps an office in each, and in Lakeland the clerk’s physical address is Room 240 of the Lakeland Government Center.
Some hearings are also streamed or held remotely. The circuit’s list of Polk virtual courtrooms includes Polk Misdemeanor, Polk First Appearance, Lakeland, and the DUI Drug Court, each with its own link, and it asks anyone with a disability who needs an accommodation to watch or take part to call the Administrative Office of the Courts at 863-534-4686.
Polk County Courthouse
- Hears
- The Tenth Circuit’s main Polk County courthouse; the Problem Solving Courts’ mailing address
- Building
- Polk County Courthouse
- Address
- 255 N. Broadway Ave., Bartow, FL 33830
- Detail
- The circuit’s County Criminal Division presides over traffic crimes and criminal misdemeanors
- Phone
- 863-534-4000
Lakeland Branch
- What is there
- A courthouse branch of the Tenth Circuit and a Polk County Clerk office
- Building
- Lakeland Government Center
- Address
- 930 E. Parker St., Lakeland, FL 33801
- Detail
- The clerk’s mailing address there is Room 240
- Phone
- 863-534-4000
The clerk says court dates often change and offers e-Notify, which sends a text or email alert 7 and/or 14 days before a hearing. For a criminal case, the date is in the clerk’s online criminal records portal: search the case, open it, and go to the Court Events tab.
Payments to the clerk for court and traffic cases can be made online, by phone at the Payment Center on 863-733-8045 (weekdays 8am to 8pm, weekends 10am to 2pm), or in person at any of the three offices in Bartow, Lakeland and the Northeast Government Center.
Not sure which court your case is in?
Enter the ZIP code where the arrest happened and the full form opens with it filled in.
The license clock, and the criminal case
The license. Florida gives 10 days from the notice to request review of the administrative suspension from the department, and the suspension does not wait for the request. That goes to the state, not to the Polk County court.
The criminal case. A DUI is a criminal traffic charge, not a civil ticket. The clerk’s traffic ticket page sets out four choices for a civil citation — pay, court appearance, a not guilty plea before a hearing officer, or traffic school — and a driver choosing the hearing must confirm that no criminal traffic charges were issued with the citation. A DUI therefore goes through the county criminal division, with its first appearance and misdemeanor dockets. Questions about filed paperwork, the circuit says, go to the clerk, who is the custodian of the court file.
| What happened | First time | With a prior | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Failed the test | 6 months | 1 year | Fla. Stat. § 322.2615(1)(b)1.b. |
| Refused the test | 1 year | 18 months | Fla. Stat. § 322.2615(1)(b)1.a. |
The Polk County D.U.I. Drug Court
The circuit’s Problem Solving Courts describe their programs as voluntary, court-supervised, comprehensive treatment courts for eligible non-violent defendants, with appearances before a dedicated judge, treatment, and frequent random testing. The D.U.I. Drug Court is the one aimed at repeat DUI offenders: its brochure says it provides judicial oversight, probated supervision and intense outpatient treatment, using a “one Judge, one team” approach that brings together the judge, prosecutors, defense attorneys, treatment providers and probation officers.
How it starts. Upon acceptance of the offender’s plea to the DUI charge, the brochure says, the offender is placed on supervised probation, must comply with the statutory requirements of Florida Statutes 316.193 and 322.28, and must complete all phases. Final entry into a Problem Solving Court program, the circuit says, is made only by the judge, on the recommendation of the State Attorney, defense counsel, probation and the treatment team.
What each phase requires. Phase I has bi-weekly court appearances, a weekly 90-minute education group, a monthly 60-minute individual therapy session, at least three support group meetings a week, random alcohol and drug screens, a daily call to the Color Line on 863-534-5828, and payment of program fees. Phase II replaces the education group with a weekly treatment group and requires a support group sponsor before moving on. Phase III moves the treatment group to every two weeks and adds a relapse prevention plan. Court appearances after Phase I are as ordered.
How long the D.U.I. Drug Court takes
The minimum time in each phase, misdemeanor and felony, from the program brochure.
| D.U.I. Drug Court phase | Misdemeanor, minimum | Felony, minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Phase I | 3 months | 7 months |
| Phase II | 5 months | 10 months |
| Phase III | 4 months | 7 months |
The brochure says time in phase is a minimum and actual time depends on individual participation, compliance and progress.
Added up, the minimums are twelve months for a misdemeanor and twenty-four months for a felony. The program’s address is the Polk County Courthouse, 255 N. Broadway Avenue, Bartow, with the phone number 863-534-4612; the Problem Solving Courts office is on 863-534-7796. The other Florida pages on this site are Miami, Fort Lauderdale and St. Petersburg.
Common questions about Lakeland DUI cases
Which court hears a DUI in Lakeland?
The Polk County Court, in the Tenth Judicial Circuit's County Criminal Division, which presides over traffic crimes and criminal misdemeanors. A felony DUI goes to the Circuit Criminal Division.
Is there a courthouse in Lakeland?
Yes. The Tenth Circuit lists a Lakeland Branch at 930 East Parker Street, and the Polk County Clerk has an office in the Lakeland Government Center at the same address. The main courthouse is at 255 N. Broadway Ave. in Bartow.
What is the Polk County DUI Drug Court?
A Problem Solving Court program for repeat DUI offenders: after a plea, the offender is on supervised probation with treatment, random testing and bi-weekly court appearances in the first phase. Entry is decided by the judge.
How long is Polk County DUI Drug Court?
The brochure lists minimums of 3, 5 and 4 months for the three phases of a misdemeanor case, and 7, 10 and 7 months for a felony, and says actual time depends on progress.
How do I find my court date in Polk County?
In the clerk's online criminal records portal, under the case's Court Events tab. The clerk's e-Notify service sends a text or email 7 and/or 14 days before a hearing.
How long do I have to challenge a Florida DUI suspension?
Ten days from the notice to request review, under Fla. Stat. 322.2615, and the request does not stop the suspension.
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More for Florida
- Florida DUI law — the full penalty matrix, the statutes, and the rules on priors and interlock
- Miami — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Fort Lauderdale and Broward County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- St. Petersburg and Pinellas County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Orange County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Panama City and Bay County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Naples and Collier County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- St. Augustine and St. Johns County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Key West and Monroe County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Sarasota — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Tampa and Hillsborough County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Port St. Lucie and St. Lucie County — the same state, a different courthouse problem
- Refusing a breathalyzer — what implied consent costs here against what it buys
- How long it stays on your record — three records, three clocks
- SR-22 insurance after a Florida suspension — what the filing certifies and how long it runs
- Ignition interlock providers and costs in Florida — what the device costs and who installs it
Sources
- Tenth Judicial Circuit, courthouse locations — read October 4, 2026
- Tenth Judicial Circuit, court divisions — read October 4, 2026
- Tenth Judicial Circuit, Problem Solving Court — read October 4, 2026
- Tenth Judicial Circuit, Polk County D.U.I. Drug Court program brochure (PDF) — read October 4, 2026
- Tenth Judicial Circuit, Polk virtual courtroom links — read October 4, 2026
- Tenth Judicial Circuit, FAQs — read October 4, 2026
- Polk County Clerk, contact us — read October 4, 2026
- Polk County Clerk, traffic tickets — read October 4, 2026
- Polk County Clerk, court dates — read October 4, 2026
- Fla. Stat. § 316.193(1)(b)–(c) and the rest of the Florida statutes cited on this page — read in force 2026
Court addresses, hours and phone numbers were read from each court’s or office’s own published page on October 4, 2026. Those change without notice; confirm before you rely on them. No judge is named anywhere on this page, because a roster is exactly the kind of detail that goes stale silently.