duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The clerk says bonds for all arrests must be posted at the Orange County Jail.
- Felony cases are processed at the downtown Orlando courthouse; misdemeanors at any clerk location.
- Arraignment location is on the court paperwork, the clerk says — check it rather than assume.
- Criminal fines can be paid at any Amscot; a late payment-plan instalment costs $10 per case.
- The State Attorney’s Pretrial Intervention takes misdemeanors and nonviolent third-degree felonies, with strict prior-record limits.
- Florida’s license clock runs separately: 10 days from the notice.
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 Orange County will make it for you. Fla. Stat. § 322.2615(1)(b)3.
Orange County is in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, and its Clerk of Courts has offices in the courthouse in downtown Orlando and branches in Apopka, Ocoee and Winter Park. The clerk explains the split for criminal cases: felony court cases are processed at the Orange County Courthouse, while misdemeanor cases can be processed at any of its locations, and the arraignment location is on the court paperwork.
This page covers what the clerk and the State Attorney publish. 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 an Orange County DUI is handled
The Orange County Courthouse is at 425 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando (407-836-2000), open weekdays 7:30am to 4pm; a defendant who needs more time on a payment plan can request an extension in Suite 410. The branches — 1111 N. Rock Springs Road in Apopka, 475 Story Road in Ocoee and 4037 Metric Drive in Winter Park — are open 8am to 4pm on weekdays (407-836-2007) and list criminal payments, traffic court and driver’s license reinstatement among their services.
The clerk’s free E-Notify service sends text or email reminders about court events to anyone who registers with their case information.
Orange County Courthouse
- Hears
- Felony cases are processed here; misdemeanors can be processed at any clerk location
- Building
- Orange County Courthouse
- Address
- 425 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801
- Detail
- Payment-plan extensions can be requested in Suite 410
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4pm
- Phone
- 407-836-2000
Clerk branch offices
- Where
- Apopka, Ocoee and Winter Park: criminal payments, traffic court, license reinstatement
- Building
- Apopka, Ocoee and Winter Park branches
- Address
- 1111 N. Rock Springs Rd., Apopka; 475 Story Rd., Ocoee; 4037 Metric Drive, Winter Park
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm
- Phone
- 407-836-2007
The clerk says bonds for all arrests must be posted at the Orange County Jail, and that the defendant must remain within the jurisdiction where the bond is placed. Once the clerk receives the paperwork from the court, a bond is discharged within two business days. Bond forfeitures are paid in Room 410 and judgments, calculated with interest, in Room 210.
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, then the court paperwork
The license. Florida gives 10 days from the notice to request review of the administrative suspension from the department, and asking does not stop the suspension. That is a state proceeding, separate from the case in Orange County.
The case. The State Attorney’s guide to the life of a criminal case says most cases begin with an arrest, after which the Clerk of Courts assigns a case number, and that a case is resolved either by a negotiated plea or by proof of guilt before a judge or jury. It notes that the time to resolution depends on the severity of the charge, the defendant’s criminal history, the availability of witnesses and the preparation time both sides need, and that a person charged who cannot afford a lawyer may have one appointed by the court.
| 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. |
Paying, and the State Attorney’s alternatives
Fines. The clerk takes criminal fines by mail, in person at any location, or at any Amscot, made payable to the Orange County Clerk of Courts with the case number and date of birth; restitution must be paid in cash, cashier’s check or money order. A defendant granted a payment plan sets it up by emailing Court Compliance or visiting the downtown clerk’s office, and a $10 late fee is assessed on each case whose payment is not received by the due date. Card payments carry a $3.50 surcharge.
Diversion. The State Attorney for the Ninth Circuit describes three alternatives to prosecution for eligible non-violent adults: adult civil citation, Pretrial Intervention and problem solving courts. Its Pretrial Intervention page says a successful participant may have the charges dropped or dismissed, and sets out conditions in the table below. It does not say whether a DUI charge is eligible, and this page does not guess.
Pretrial Intervention conditions
From the Ninth Circuit State Attorney’s Pretrial Intervention page.
| Pretrial Intervention condition | Status |
|---|---|
| Charged with a misdemeanor or a nonviolent third-degree felony | Required |
| No more than one prior nonviolent misdemeanor conviction as an adult, itself an offense that would qualify; none for the same or a similar offense, a disqualifying offense or a crime of violence | Required |
| Lives in the United States (exceptions case by case); US citizen, legal resident or visitor | Required |
| Never completed diversion or deferred prosecution for the same or a similar offense | Required |
| The victim agrees, where there is one (no response is considered case by case) | Required |
| Speedy trial waived | Required |
| Two or more charges or cases from separate facts | Disqualifies |
The State Attorney’s Office says it reserves the right to refuse entry based on the circumstances of the offense or other factors.
“Convicted”, the State Attorney says, includes a withhold of adjudication. The other Florida pages on this site are Miami, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg and Lakeland.
Common questions about Orange County DUI cases
Where do I post bond after a DUI arrest in Orange County, Florida?
At the Orange County Jail. The clerk says bonds for all arrests must be posted there.
Where is my Orange County DUI case processed?
The clerk says felony cases are processed at the Orange County Courthouse, 425 N. Orange Avenue, Orlando, and misdemeanor cases at any clerk location. Where your arraignment is held is on your court paperwork.
Can I pay my Orange County court fine at Amscot?
Yes, the clerk accepts criminal fine payments at any Amscot location, payable to the Orange County Clerk of Courts with your case number and date of birth.
Is there a late fee on an Orange County payment plan?
The clerk assesses a $10 late fee on each delinquent case when a payment is not received by the due date.
Is DUI eligible for Pretrial Intervention in Orange County?
The State Attorney's published criteria cover misdemeanors and nonviolent third-degree felonies, with prior-record limits, but do not say whether DUI qualifies.
Does the Orange County clerk handle my license suspension?
No. The administrative suspension is reviewed by the state department, and Florida gives ten days from the notice to request that review.
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Submitting this request does not create an attorney–client relationship.
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
- Lakeland and Polk 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
- Orange County Clerk of Courts, Criminal Court — read October 8, 2026
- Orange County Clerk of Courts, bond information — read October 8, 2026
- Orange County Clerk of Courts, locations — read October 8, 2026
- Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit, alternatives to prosecution — read October 8, 2026
- Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit, Pretrial Intervention programs — read October 8, 2026
- Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit, problem solving courts — read October 8, 2026
- Office of the State Attorney, Ninth Judicial Circuit, life cycle of a criminal case — read October 8, 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 8, 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.