The 10-Day License Window
If you blew over the limit or refused testing, your license is typically suspended administratively — separate from the criminal case. Florida law generally gives you about 10 days from the arrest to request a formal review hearing with the DHSMV challenging that suspension (the DUI citation itself commonly serves as a temporary permit during that period). Miss the window and the administrative suspension generally takes effect without a fight. This is the single most time-sensitive decision after a Hollywood DUI arrest, and it is why we take these calls immediately: an attorney can request the hearing, contest the suspension, and use the process to learn the State's evidence early.
Where Hollywood DUI Cases Happen — and Get Decided
DUI enforcement in Hollywood concentrates where drinking and driving intersect: the beach strip and A1A, downtown Hollywood Boulevard's bars and restaurants, and the late-night corridors of Sheridan Street and State Road 7/US-441, plus I-95 stops by county and state agencies. Most misdemeanor DUI cases from the city are then heard at the Broward South Regional Courthouse at 3550 Hollywood Boulevard — while felony DUI charges proceed at the Central Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.
The location of the stop matters more than people think. Beach-area stops often begin with minor traffic infractions in heavy pedestrian traffic; highway stops raise different probable-cause questions. Where and why you were pulled over is the first thing we examine, because a stop that fails constitutional scrutiny can take the whole case down with it.
How a DUI Case Is Actually Attacked
The Stop
Did the officer have a lawful basis to pull you over? Weaving within a lane, anonymous tips, and pretext stops all raise challenges.
Field Sobriety Exercises
Roadside exercises are subjective, affected by footwear, fatigue, medical conditions, and uneven pavement — and the video often tells a different story than the report.
The Breath Test
Breath-testing machines require maintenance, calibration, and proper procedures. Records exist for all of it, and discrepancies matter.
The Paperwork & Video
Body-cam and dash-cam footage, timing logs, and observation-period compliance frequently contradict the narrative — if someone reads them closely.
As a former public defender, David Hoffman has cross-examined the officers, read the maintenance logs, and tried these cases. That is the experience that turns "you can't fight a DUI" into reduced charges, suppressed evidence, or acquittals — depending on what the facts genuinely support.
What's at Stake
Florida DUI penalties escalate with prior convictions, breath-alcohol level, whether a minor was in the car, and whether a crash or injury was involved. Even a first conviction generally carries fines, probation, license consequences, DUI school, community service, and possible vehicle impoundment — plus insurance increases and a conviction that Florida law does not allow to be sealed or expunged. Aggravated circumstances can mean mandatory jail or felony exposure. The specifics depend on your case, which is exactly what a consultation is for — but the pattern is universal: the earlier the defense starts, the more options exist.
What to Do in the First 10 Days
- Call a DUI lawyer immediately — the license window and the freshest evidence both live in these first days.
- Write down the entire night: where you were, what you drank and when, what the officer said and did, road and weather conditions.
- Preserve receipts, texts, and witnesses that establish your timeline.
- Do not discuss the arrest with anyone but your lawyer — especially not on social media.
- Note any medical conditions or medications that could have affected the exercises or the breath reading.
Hollywood DUI FAQ
What is the 10-day rule after a Hollywood DUI arrest?
Following a DUI arrest with a breath result over the limit or a refusal, Florida generally allows about 10 days to request a formal DHSMV review hearing challenging the administrative license suspension; the citation often acts as a temporary permit during that time. Missing the window generally means the suspension takes effect. An attorney can file the request and fight both the suspension and the criminal case.
I refused the breath test. Is my case hopeless?
No. Refusal carries its own license consequences and the State will argue "consciousness of guilt," but it also means there is no breath number to defend against, and the case rests more heavily on the stop, the video, and the officer's subjective observations — all of which can be challenged. Refusal cases are defended and won on their facts.
Will I go to jail for a first DUI in Hollywood?
Jail is possible but far from automatic in a typical first DUI without aggravating factors; outcomes depend on the facts, your record, and how the case is defended and negotiated. Some cases resolve with reduced charges or program-based outcomes. No lawyer can promise a result — what we can promise is that the case will be examined, not just pled.
Where will my Hollywood DUI case be heard?
Misdemeanor DUI cases arising in Hollywood are generally heard at the Broward South Regional Courthouse at 3550 Hollywood Boulevard — inside the city itself. Felony DUI charges, such as third offenses or cases involving serious injury, proceed at the Broward County Central Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.
Can a DUI be sealed or expunged later in Florida?
A DUI conviction generally cannot be sealed or expunged under Florida law — which is a major reason the fight happens now, not after. Outcomes like reduced charges may preserve options a DUI conviction forecloses. See our record sealing and expungement page for how eligibility works.
Related Pages & Nearby Communities
Reviewed by attorney David Hoffman, Hoffman Legal, Dania Beach, Florida. Last reviewed: July 2026.
Ten Days Goes Fast. Your Hollywood DUI Defense Should Start Now.
Former public defender David Hoffman answers DUI calls 24/7 — because the license clock does not wait for business hours. The consultation is free, confidential, and could change how this ends.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Deadlines, procedures, and penalties depend on the facts and applicable law. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.