DUI classes in Florida: substance abuse course with evaluation
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Florida calls it the Level I and Level II DUI courses run by licensed DUI programs. It is administered by Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Bureau of Motorist Compliance.
The court places everyone convicted on monthly reporting probation and requires a substance abuse course run by a DUI program licensed by the department, including a psychosocial evaluation. If that evaluation refers you to treatment, the treatment is part of the sentence rather than an option.
| Level | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Level I | At least 12 hours of classroom instruction, for first-time offenders |
| Level II | At least 21 hours of classroom time for people with multiple offences, average class size no more than 15 |
Does an online course count in Florida?
Not accepted. Florida DUI programs are non-profit organisations licensed by FLHSMV, and the courses are classroom courses. The department certifies instructors, investigates complaints and inspects the programmes on site.
Georgia, Kentucky, California and Florida reject online courses outright. Half the searches in this branch carry the word “online”, and that is the single most expensive assumption people make after a conviction.
Where it sits in the process
You are evaluated and supervised by the DUI program serving the county where you live, work or study, unless that programme raises no objection to your attending another.
That order matters more than the course does. People lose months not because the programme was hard but because they took it at the wrong point, or from a provider the state does not recognise, and had to take it again.
The part of the Florida rule that catches people
Level II is where most people are referred into treatment, and treatment from a provider licensed by the Department of Children and Families is often used alongside the class rather than instead of it.
Why the licence matters more than the price
In California the Department of Health Care Services licenses every DUI program and monitors compliance, and it states plainly that it does not license internet DUI programs — classes offered over the internet do not meet the state requirement. Los Angeles County repeats the warning on its own list: online programs are not licensed and will not be accepted by the DMV for reinstatement of driving privileges.
California DHCS, Driving Under the Influence programs · checked 2026-08-30
And the panel is not a class
It is a session where people injured in impaired-driving crashes, or the families of people killed in them, describe what happened to them. There is no test and nothing to pass; attendance is what is recorded. Courts order it alongside education rather than instead of it, and it is usually a single evening rather than a course.
What else has to be satisfied in Florida
The programme is one of three or four separate obligations that arrive together. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles runs the interlock side, and a first offence here carries court discretion on a plain first conviction; at least 6 months at 0.15% or with a minor in the car. Second conviction 1 year (2 years at 0.15%), third 2 years, fourth or more 5 years None of them substitutes for another, and each is reported separately to the agency that holds your licence.
Florida DUI law in full → · Insurance filing rules in Florida → · What the interlock costs in Florida → · How the classes work everywhere →
Questions about Florida programmes
Are online DUI classes accepted in Florida?
No. Florida DUI programs are non-profit organisations licensed by FLHSMV, and the courses are classroom courses. The department certifies instructors, investigates complaints and inspects the programmes on site. A certificate from an online course bought elsewhere does not shorten the process; it just costs money before you start the real one.
How many hours is the DUI class in Florida?
There is no single answer, because Florida runs tiers rather than one course: Level I — at least 12 hours of classroom instruction, for first-time offenders; Level II — at least 21 hours of classroom time for people with multiple offences, average class size no more than 15. Which one you get is decided by a screening or by the court, not chosen.
What happens if I do not finish it in Florida?
You are evaluated and supervised by the DUI program serving the county where you live, work or study, unless that programme raises no objection to your attending another. Non-completion is reported rather than ignored, and in most states it is the single most common reason a licence stays suspended long after the court case has ended.
Is the class the same as the ignition interlock in Florida?
No. They are separate requirements with separate providers, and the interlock side is run by Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Completing the programme does nothing for the device and the device does nothing for the programme; both usually have to be satisfied before the licence comes back.
Attorney advertising. InterlockDeviceNearMe is not a law firm, does not practice law, and does not give legal advice. Nothing here creates an attorney-client relationship. Requesting a consultation connects you with an independent attorney or a legal referral service, who decide separately whether to take your case. Case outcomes depend on facts we do not know, and no result is ever promised. Deadlines in DUI cases are short and vary by state — speak to a licensed attorney in your state before relying on anything you read here.