Top 10 DUI Arrest Locations in Tampa

The DUI enforcement unit with the Tampa Police Department (TPD) has developed certain favorite areas to conduct traffic stops looking for drivers who might be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. TPD’s website even listed the top 10 locations for a DUI arrest in Tampa.

Most of these locations are near bars, clubs, and local attractions where the officers are more likely to encounter drivers who have been drinking. During these routine traffic stops, the DUI investigation often feels like a setup.

The majority of arrests made by TPD occur after routine traffic stops in these areas within the Tampa city limits:

• SOHO – Howard Avenue just South of Kennedy Blvd;
• Channelside District;
• Howard Avenue (Kennedy Blvd. to I-275);
• Dale Mabry (Martin Luther King to Hillsborough Avenue);
• Tampa Palms area;
• Nebraska Avenue (Waters to Fowler);
• Courtney Campbell Causeway;
• Ybor City;
• MacDill Avenue (Kennedy Blvd. to Columbus); and
• Kennedy Blvd (Dale Mabry to Westshore).

Attorney for a DUI Arrest by the Tampa Police Department

If you were arrested for a DUI in Tampa, FL, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Sammis Law Firm. We represent clients after a breath test, urine test, blood test, or a refusal to submit to chemical testing.

Our DUI defense attorneys understand the tactics used by DUI enforcement officers with the Tampa Police Department. We are familiar with the standard operating procedures used in these cases and how to exploit any mistakes made by the officer.

Call 813-250-0500.

Tampa’s Last Drink Before a DUI Arrest List

After an arrest for DUI, each person will be asked where they consumed their last alcohol beverage prior to being booked into the jail. Known as the “last drink survey,” the records are kept by all law enforcement officers making an arrest for DUI in Hillsborough County.

The arresting officer is trained to ask the subject, “Where were you last drinking?” Answering the question is voluntary and the response is compiled into a database.

You can visit the website of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HSCO) to find a list of the “Top 10 ” alcohol vendors attributed to DUI arrests published each year.

HCSO uses the “Top 10” list to work with those vendors to reduce the DUI’s connected to their establishments by the arrestees. Statistics related to those responses are included in the Hillsborough County “Last Drink Survey” which named these vendors and drinking establishments.

DUI enforcement officers with the Tampa Police Department often have extra officers stationed near these locations.

Facts about the Tampa Police Department

Lee Bercaw is the current Chief of Police for the City of Tampa. He was appointed after serving as Interim Chief and has been with the Tampa Police Department since 1997.

With over 1,000 sworn law enforcement personnel positions, TPD also employs more than 350 civilian and support staff personnel.

Tampa’s DUI enforcement officers also help educate the public, and particularly young people, about the dangers of drinking and driving. For example, on September 29, 2025, Sgt. Matthew Belmonte and Cpl. Jacob Gonzalez gave a presentation on Florida’s DUI laws and field sobriety testings to a group of college students at the University of South Florida (USF).

The officers explain how law enforcement assesses driver impairment by looking for clues of impairment during field exercises including the horizontal gaze nystagmus, walk-and-turn, and one-leg stand. The officers also explained the DUI Manslaughter Case curriculum, originally created by Elizabeth Cass, PhD, associate professor of instruction and graduate coordinator in the Department of Criminology.

The officers also explained Florida’s implied consent law which requires driver’s to submit to breath test, and sometimes blood or urine tests after a DUI arrest.

Additional Resources

Tampa Alcohol Coalition – As a subcommittee of the Hillsborough County Anti Drug Alliance, the Tampa Alcohol Coalition is on a mission to prevent underage drinking and impaired driving. Visit the website of the Alcohol Coalition for the City of Tampa to find information on the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office S.A.V.E. program. Learn more about why working with alcohol vendors to save lives. The HCSO’s Sheriff’s Alcohol Vendor Enforcement (SAVE) program works with vendors who have been identified through the last drink surveys and compliance checks to prevent DUI and underage drinking in alcohol establishments.

This article was last updated on Tuesday, November 4, 2025.