MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Golf legend Tiger Woods entered a no-contest plea Wednesday to reckless driving and careless driving in Martin County Court, five months after his March 27 arrest on Jupiter Island.
Judge Darren Steele accepted the plea agreement, which amended the original DUI with property damage charge to reckless driving — a second offense — and resolved the refusal to submit a test charge with a guilty plea as well. Woods also entered a plea to a careless driving citation.
On the reckless driving second offense charge, Woods received a $1,000 fine, a five-year driver's license suspension and $18.44 to the state attorney's office. On the refusal to submit to a lawful test, Woods received a $500 fine. The test refusal citation also carries a five-year driver's license suspension to run concurrently with the suspension on the reckless driving charge.
Judge Steele emphasized the seriousness of the suspension.
"The five-year driving suspension is for the safety of the public," Steele said. "There are no exceptions. If you were to drive for any reason at all, you would go immediately back to jail."
Woods agreed upfront to no hardship exemptions during the five-year suspension. The court gave Woods up to four months to pay the fines and costs, though they were paid at the hearing. Woods has 30 days to appeal the ruling.
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Woods faces misdemeanor charges stemming from a rollover crash near his home on South Beach Road— DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test. He initially pleaded not guilty to both charges in March and said he was seeking treatment following the incident.
The March crash occurred when Woods, driving his Range Rover at what Sheriff John Budensiek described as "high speed," attempted to overtake a pickup truck hauling pressure-cleaning equipment. Woods clipped the trailer, causing his SUV to flip onto its side. Neither driver was injured in the collision.
At the scene, deputies said Woods showed signs of impairment. He submitted to a breath test that registered no alcohol but refused to provide a urine sample. Investigators suspected Woods may have been impaired by medication or another drug. No drugs or medication were found in his vehicle.
This marks Woods' second DUI-related legal issue in Florida. In 2017, he was arrested in Palm Beach County on suspicion of DUI and later pleaded guilty to reckless driving as part of a plea deal.
The case has drawn additional complexity as prosecutors subpoenaed Woods' medical records in June, seeking documentation of any statements he made regarding substance use, drug screen results, and testing procedures from his hospitalization.
Jupiter Island residents interviewed by WPTV following the arrest expressed mixed reactions, with neighbor Talbot Sutter, whose daughter attends school with Woods' children, saying he was "very worried" for Woods and his family. Others noted they weren't surprised given Woods' history of crashes, including incidents in 2009 and 2017.
Court records don't specify what plea Woods plans to enter or whether today's hearing involves a negotiated plea agreement. Woods was released from Martin County Jail on $1,150 bail the night of his arrest.
