When police arrest your child for DUI, you are suddenly juggling court dates, paperwork and questions you never thought you would have to answer, all while trying to stay calm for their sake. Still, one question tends to linger beneath all of it: how long will the arrest and everything tied to it follow them?
In Florida, whether that arrest becomes a permanent part of their record depends on how you handle the case from the start.
What Florida law says about DUI convictions
Florida law draws a hard line here: if your child gets convicted of DUI, the record stays, even if it is their first offense and even if they have never had any prior issues. Once the court enters a judgment of guilt, there is no option to seal or expunge the record.
That is why the legal outcome matters more than many families realize. Once your child pleads guilty or a jury returns a conviction, the chance to protect their record disappears. You cannot qualify for sealing or expungement after the fact — not in Florida.
When a DUI might not stick to the record
Not every DUI ends in a conviction, and when it doesn’t, your options shift. If the prosecutor drops the charge, lowers it to reckless driving or the jury finds your child not guilty, you may be able to clear the arrest from the public record completely, as if it never happened.
In some cases, the prosecutor negotiates the charge down to reckless driving, and the judge withholds adjudication. That avoids a formal conviction and may qualify the case for sealing under Florida law.
Florida only allows one sealing or expungement in a person’s lifetime. So if this is your child’s first time in the system, how the case is resolved could determine whether they ever get that chance again.
Why early legal help matters
These outcomes don’t happen by chance. The ability to seal or expunge a record often hinges on whether someone steps in early to guide the case toward the right result. That might mean pushing for a dismissal, negotiating a reduction or defending the case in a way that keeps a conviction off the table.
The sooner you understand the options and what is really at stake, the better chance you have of preserving your child’s future.
Don’t let one mistake steer everything off course
A DUI arrest can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to shape everything that comes after. The result of this case could decide whether your child walks away with a permanent mark or a second chance — and that decision starts long before the final hearing.
If you are unsure what options are still on the table, call the lawyers at the Law Firm of Scott T. Moorey at 239.275.5552 who knows how Florida’s system works and how to protect the road ahead. Make the call now – the earlier you act, the more options you have.
