duistatelaws.com Key takeaways
- The clerk says a judge usually sees a misdemeanor arrestee within 24 hours; bail is set at that first appearance.
- DUI is a criminal traffic offense in Bay County’s terms: a court appearance is required.
- The court date is at the bottom of the citation or on the first appearance paperwork from the jail.
- The circuit’s Pretrial Release Program gives judges background for bond decisions and supervises people released before trial.
- Cash bond is refunded by check, to the depositor, after the case ends; the clerk no longer accepts property bonds.
- Florida’s license clock: 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 Bay County will make it for you. Fla. Stat. § 322.2615(1)(b)3.
Bay County is one of six counties in Florida’s Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, and its courthouse is at 300 East 4th Street in Panama City. The Bay County Clerk of Court sorts traffic cases in two: civil infractions, such as speeding, that can usually be paid; and criminal traffic offenses, which the clerk says require a court appearance and can carry fines, probation and jail. Driving under the influence is the first example it gives of the second kind.
This page covers what the circuit and the clerk publish about the first days of a Bay County DUI. 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. |
The Bay County Courthouse
Criminal traffic court is usually held in the County Courtroom of the Bay County Courthouse, the clerk says. The clerk’s office is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm Central time, and its Central Cashiering Office is Room 111. The clerk’s pages are not consistent on payments: the traffic page lists cash, cards (with a 3.5% fee set by statute), money orders and cashier’s checks in Room 111, but also says the office accepts only cards, money orders or cashier’s checks for all transactions, and the misdemeanor page refers to Room 110. Check with the clerk before bringing cash.
The clerk cannot change a court date. Its FAQ says anyone with a problem with the date may want to consult an attorney, and that failing to appear could result in a capias, a warrant for arrest; a defendant who fails to appear may also have bail revoked.
Bay County Courthouse
- Hears
- Main courthouse of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit for Bay County; criminal traffic court is usually held in the County Courtroom
- Building
- Bay County Courthouse
- Address
- 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401
- Detail
- Clerk’s Central Cashiering Office: Room 111
- Hours
- Clerk Monday to Friday, 8am to 4:30pm CST
- Phone
- 850-747-5100 (plea in absentia line)
Bay County Pretrial Release Program
- Role
- Background information for bond decisions and supervision of defendants released before trial
- Building
- Bay County Courthouse, first floor, near the County Courtroom
- Address
- 300 East 4th Street, Panama City, FL 32401
- Detail
- Check-in line 850-914-7877; sign in on the computer to be seen
- Hours
- Monday to Friday, 8am to noon and 1pm to 4:30pm
- Phone
- 850-747-5183
The clerk says cash bond money is refunded after the final disposition of the case or by order of the court, to the depositor only unless the depositor sent a notarized letter saying otherwise, and by check only. A refund can be collected by the depositor on Wednesdays from 2pm to 4:30pm at the Central Cashiering Office, Room 111, with photo ID, or it is mailed to the address the depositor gave. The clerk no longer accepts property bonds.
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.
First appearance, then arraignment
First appearance. After an arrest on a misdemeanor, the clerk explains, the defendant is booked into the county jail. Most but not all misdemeanors are bondable, and a judge usually sees people arrested on misdemeanors within twenty-four hours. At first appearance bail is set and the court decides whether the accused can pay for counsel; a public defender is appointed for a defendant found indigent, or the defendant may hire a lawyer.
Arraignment. The court date is printed at the bottom of the citation or on the first appearance paperwork from the jail. At arraignment the defendant is told the charges and enters a plea; a guilty or no contest plea is sentenced at once, and a not guilty plea is set for a pretrial conference. The clerk notes that an attorney may enter a written not guilty plea and waive the defendant’s appearance, but to check with the attorney whether you must still attend. For a plea in absentia, the clerk has a line, 850-747-5100.
The license. Florida gives 10 days from the notice to request review of the administrative suspension from the department, and the request does not stop the suspension.
| 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. |
Pretrial release, fines and record clearing
Pretrial Release Program. The Fourteenth Circuit runs a Pretrial Release Program in Bay County, on the first floor of the courthouse near the County Courtroom. It describes its job as giving judges critical information — criminal history, employment, residence, community ties — for release and bond decisions, and supervising defendants conditionally released before trial. It began in December 1990, and the circuit gives its current caseload as 375 supervised people. Its check-in line is 850-914-7877 and its office 850-747-5183, open weekdays 8am to noon and 1pm to 4:30pm.
Fines. The clerk says it cannot pardon, defer or change fines the court imposes; a defendant on probation who is having trouble paying should contact the probation officer. The traffic department lists a $25 fee for an extension or partial-payment agreement and a $60 fee for driver’s license reinstatement.
Sealing and expungement. The clerk points to Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059 for the requirements, and to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for eligibility. FDLE charges $75 to process the application, and once it certifies eligibility, filing the court forms with the clerk costs $42. Whether a DUI qualifies is a question of the statutes and FDLE’s review, not of the clerk.
Arraignment calendars
The clerk’s examples of first arraignment dates for criminal traffic cases.
| Example first arraignment day | Time |
|---|---|
| Monday | 1pm |
| Wednesday | 8:30am |
| Friday | 8:30am |
The clerk gives these as examples only; follow the date printed on your own citation or release paperwork.
The other Florida pages on this site are Miami, Orange County, Lakeland and St. Petersburg.
Common questions about Panama City DUI cases
How soon will I see a judge after a DUI arrest in Bay County?
The clerk says a judge usually sees people arrested on misdemeanors within twenty-four hours. Bail is set at that first appearance.
Where is DUI court in Panama City?
Criminal traffic court is usually held in the County Courtroom of the Bay County Courthouse, 300 East 4th Street. Your date is on the citation or the first appearance paperwork.
Can I change my arraignment date in Bay County?
The clerk cannot change a court date. It suggests consulting an attorney; failing to appear could lead to a capias for your arrest.
How do I get a cash bond refunded in Bay County?
After the case ends, the clerk refunds it by check to the depositor, collected on Wednesdays 2pm to 4:30pm in Room 111 with photo ID, or by mail.
What is the Bay County Pretrial Release Program?
A circuit program that gives judges background information for bond decisions and supervises defendants released before trial. It is on the courthouse's first floor.
Does the Bay County clerk handle my license suspension?
Not the administrative suspension: Florida gives ten days from the notice to request review from the state department. The clerk's fee table lists a driver's license reinstatement fee, but the administrative suspension itself is the department's.
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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
- Orange 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
- Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, Bay County Courthouse — read October 10, 2026
- Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, Bay County Pretrial Release Program — read October 10, 2026
- Bay County Clerk of Court, misdemeanor — read October 10, 2026
- Bay County Clerk of Court, traffic department — read October 10, 2026
- Bay County Clerk of Court, bond information — read October 10, 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 10, 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.