Sealing and expungement · Florida
Will a DUI stay on your record forever in Florida?
With Sabrina Jadunandan, Orlando DUI defense attorneyDuration 0:29Reviewed 2026-08-12
English captions are available in the player.
Can a Florida DUI be sealed or expunged from your record?
No — not once the case resolves as a DUI. Florida law requires an adjudication of guilt on a DUI, and §943.059 and §943.0585 make anyone who has been adjudicated guilty ineligible to seal or expunge that record. The conviction stays visible. What a DUI attorney can work toward is a resolution that is not a DUI conviction, which is what preserves the possibility of sealing or expunging the record later.
What this video covers
- Why a DUI carries an automatic adjudication of guilt
- Why adjudication blocks sealing and expungement
- How the case outcome affects future eligibility
Attorney commentary
A Florida DUI conviction is treated as an adjudication of guilt. Section 316.193, Florida Statutes, is the DUI offense. Section 316.656, Florida Statutes, restricts a court from withholding adjudication on a DUI. That combination is why a resolved DUI is not a sealing or expungement candidate. Section 943.059, Florida Statutes, governs court-ordered sealing of criminal history records, and section 943.0585, Florida Statutes, governs court-ordered expunction. Both statutes make a person who has been adjudicated guilty ineligible for that relief on the adjudicated case. The clip's short answer — a DUI stays on the record — is about that conviction path, not about every possible outcome of a DUI arrest. An arrest is not a conviction. A resolution that is not a DUI conviction is what can preserve later sealing or expungement eligibility. That is a case-specific legal result, not a promise. Driving-record retention is a separate file from the criminal history. Florida DHSMV treats alcohol-related driving-record entries on a long retention schedule, which is explained on the DUI penalties resource. This video is a 29-second reminder, not the full record-duration analysis. The statutes above are the reason the spoken answer is categorical once the case has already resolved as a DUI. Before that point, the file is still the stop, the testing, and the charging decision. The DUI Gyal defends Florida DUI charges in Orlando and across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties, with availability confirmed case by case.
Full transcript
Will a DUI stay on your record forever? 100%. And the reason why is the Florida statute requires an automatic conviction of guilt when you resolve your case with a DUI. And that means you're not eligible for a sealing or expungement if that's something you wish to pursue. And that's why it's so important to have a DUI attorney, because we may be able to find ways to give you an opportunity to seal or expunge your record in the future. Much love from the DUI gal.
Florida law and sources
- Florida Statute §316.193 — Driving under the influenceFlorida Legislature
- Florida Statute §316.656 — Mandatory adjudication; prohibition against accepting plea to lesser included offenseFlorida Legislature
- Florida Statute §943.059 — Court-ordered sealing of criminal history recordsFlorida Legislature
- Florida Statute §943.0585 — Court-ordered expunction of criminal history recordsFlorida Legislature
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See the minimum sanctions a Florida DUI conviction carries.
The information on this website is for general information only and is not legal advice.