The golf star avoided jail after prosecutors reduced a DUI charge, while a judge suspended his driver’s license for five years.
STUART, FL — Tiger Woods pleaded no contest Wednesday to a reduced reckless driving charge stemming from a March rollover crash on Jupiter Island, ending a drunken-driving case with a five-year driver’s license suspension and roughly $1,500 in fines.
The Sept. 2 plea agreement resolved a case that began after Woods was arrested March 27 following a collision on South Beach Road near his Florida home. Prosecutors originally charged the 50-year-old golfer with driving under the influence with property damage and refusing to submit to a lawful test. Woods had pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial. Prosecutors later said evidence developed during the investigation made the DUI allegation difficult to prove, leading them to agree to reduced charges.
County Judge Darren Steele accepted the agreement in Martin County Court. Woods received a five-year license suspension tied to the reckless driving case, with another five-year suspension imposed in connection with the other driving-related resolution running at the same time. He was ordered to pay about $1,500 in fines and related costs and will not be allowed to seek a hardship exemption that would permit limited driving during the suspension.
Steele warned Woods in court that the driving restriction had no exceptions and that violating it could result in his return to jail. Woods said little during the hearing and left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. His girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, accompanied him to court and sat behind him during the proceeding. Woods has 30 days to appeal the ruling, according to local court reporting.
The March crash happened as Woods was driving a Land Rover on the residential road on Jupiter Island. Investigators said his SUV clipped a pickup truck or its trailer while Woods was attempting to pass, then rolled onto its side. Neither Woods nor the other driver was injured. A police report said the collision caused about $5,000 in damage to the other vehicle. Woods told a deputy after the crash that he had been looking down at his phone and changing the radio station when he struck the truck.
Deputies reported signs that they believed could indicate impairment. Authorities said Woods agreed to a breath test, which showed no alcohol, but refused to provide a urine sample. A sheriff’s report said two hydrocodone pills were found in his pocket. Those circumstances initially supported the DUI investigation, but prosecutors said later evidence weakened their ability to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Woods had been impaired while driving.
State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl said after the hearing that two toxicologists who reviewed the evidence concluded there was insufficient proof to establish impairment. Prosecutors also obtained medical and prescription records during the investigation. Bakkedahl said Woods had a valid prescription for the medication and a documented history involving surgeries and pain treatment. Prosecutors also said physical sobriety testing was complicated by Woods’ medical history, which has affected his gait. Because no urine drug test was obtained, authorities could not establish precisely what substances, if any, were in his bloodstream at the time of the crash.
The plea does not amount to Woods admitting the factual allegations against him, but a no-contest plea allows a court to enter a conviction without the defendant contesting the charge. The agreement allowed Woods to avoid jail and removed the more serious DUI charge that prosecutors said had become difficult to prove. The case also included matters connected to his refusal to submit to testing and a careless driving citation, with the court imposing concurrent driving restrictions.
Woods had been allowed to leave the United States during the case to receive treatment in a controlled setting. Court records showed prosecutors later sought access to his prescription and hospital records as they continued reviewing the circumstances surrounding the crash. Woods said after the March arrest that he was stepping away from public life to focus on his health. He returned to public view in June during an appearance connected with plans to restructure the PGA Tour schedule for 2028.
The case marked another driving-related legal episode for one of golf’s most accomplished players. Woods previously faced a DUI case in Florida in 2017 and ultimately pleaded guilty to reckless driving under a plea agreement. His playing career also has been interrupted by extensive back and leg injuries and surgeries. He has not competed in an official event since the 2024 British Open. Woods has won 15 major championships, second to Jack Nicklaus’ 18, and shares the PGA Tour record of 82 victories with Sam Snead.
With Wednesday’s plea accepted, the March case is resolved unless Woods appeals. The five-year license suspension remains in force, and the court made clear that Woods cannot drive during that period under a hardship exception. Woods did not make a public statement after leaving the Martin County Courthouse.
Author note: Last updated September 2, 2026.