Tiger Woods loses driver’s license for 5 years in DUI plea deal as judge issues stern warning

Tiger Woods lost his driver’s license for five years in a last-minute plea deal in his Florida DUI case.

The golf superstar, 50, appeared before a judge Wednesday morning at Martin County Courthouse in Stuart.

At the start of the hearing, the judge noted that the defense and prosecution had reached an agreement, resulting in Woods’ DUI charge being reduced to reckless driving and refusal to submit to a lawful chemical test.

The judge imposed a $1,000 fine for the first charge and a $500 fine for the second, with both carrying a five-year driving ban to run concurrent with each other.

“If you drive for any reason at all, you will be going back to jail,” the judge warned sternly. In Florida and many other states, a golf cart is considered a motor vehicle.

Woods was accompanied by his attorney, Douglas Duncan, and his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump. He looked to her often during the brief hearing, even flashing her a smile after signing the plea agreement.

The plea agreement obtained by Page Six showed Woods entered a no contest plea to the two charges, checking the box that explained, “I feel it to be in my best interest not to contest the evidence the state would present against me.”

The state attorney explained in a subsequent press conference that the case was “difficult” to prosecute because there was “insufficient proof of [Woods’] impairment” due to his “pharmacological tolerance” of the controlled substances he confessed to taking prior to his arrest. Notably, he refused a urinalysis.

Prior to the hearing, Page Six obtained exclusive video of Woods and Trump, 48, arriving at the courthouse in the same SUV and quietly making their way inside.

Woods was originally slated to appear in court on Sept. 8, but a motion was filed Tuesday that fast-tracked his time before the judge.

The athlete — who was involved in a rollover car crash near his Jupiter Island home on March 27 — initially entered a not guilty plea to misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful chemical test. He was also issued a citation for reckless driving.

At the scene of the accident, Woods failed field sobriety tests and admitted to taking a number of prescription medications earlier in the day.

During a search of his person, responding Martin County Sheriff’s Office deputies located two loose pills that were later identified as hydrocodone, an opioid used to manage pain.

He was arrested on the scene and taken to Martin County Jail.

According to the arrest affidavit, deputies stated Woods showed signs of impairment, including “bloodshot and glassy” eyes and “lethargic and slow” movement. He denied drinking alcohol that day, and breathalyzer results backed that claim.

Woods told deputies he was distracted by his cellphone and radio while driving his Land Rover before realizing the car in front of him had slowed down to turn into a driveway.

The vehicle, a truck carrying a pressure washer trailer, sustained approximately $5,000 in damage in the crash.

It marked the fourth significant car-related incident of Woods’ career — and his second DUI arrest.

Four days after his latest arrest, he announced he was seeking treatment.

“I know and understand the seriousness of the situation I find myself in today,” he wrote on social media at the time.

“I am stepping away for a period of time to seek treatment and focus on my health. This is necessary in order for me to prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”

Woods then spent nearly three months in a Switzerland rehab, taking a brief break to be by Trump’s side amid her breast cancer battle.

Woods has slowly returned to the public eye in the months following his rehab stay, with many arguing he looked like “a shell of his former self” during last week’s pre-recorded video appearance to honor fellow golfer Notah Begay at Begay’s Payne Stewart Award ceremony.