Drive Legal Program

In 1991, approximately 60,000 Driving While License Suspended (DWLS) violations were filed in Miami-Dade County. Since this single charge had a serious impact on the Traffic Judge’s caseload, the Chief Judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit requested that a Traffic Diversion Committee be established to study the feasibility of a traffic diversion program for certain criminal traffic cases.

In May 1992, a pilot DWLS program was established based on the recommendations of the Miami-Dade County Diversion Committee. The Committee was and still is chaired by the Associate Administrative Judge of the Traffic Division, and includes members of the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), State Attorney’s Office (SAO), Public Defender’s Office (PDO), and the Clerk’s Office (COC).

The DWLS pilot program evolved into what is known today as the Drive Legal Program. The program operates according to the guidelines in the State Attorney’s Office DWLS Offender Profile outlined in Administrative Memorandum 2008-001. The profile outlines eligibility and exclusions for enrollment in the Drive Legal Program.

Drive Legal is operated by the County Courts Operations Division. The program diverts Driving While License Suspended cases from going to court, thereby freeing up judicial calendars and reducing system costs. Drive Legal assists approximately 12,000 people a year, which complete 300,000 community service hours. It’s been estimated that this program saves the criminal justice system approximately $1,000,000 per year and collects approximately $900,000 in court costs annually. The program has a completion rate of 63%.

The program is funded through a non-refundable enrollment fee of $200.00, which covers all overhead expenses. It enables a person with a suspended driver’s license to be removed from collection agencies and pay off fines through community service, reducing the amount of court costs to be paid. The remaining court costs may be placed on a payment plan, or be paid in full. Drive Legal also withholds a percentage of points from being placed on a person’s license, which could otherwise result in a point suspension, by assigning a traffic school course.