Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between October 1, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Queens County, New York, has about 2.3 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Queens County starts two cases, a criminal case in the local criminal court and a license case before the DMV, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Queens County public records, Queens County warrants, Queens County inmate search, Queens County criminal records, Queens County court records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
The DWI Law in New York
In New York the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08; driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is charged from 0.05.
Driving in New York is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the DMV, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, New York counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Queens County
The New York City Police Department polices all five boroughs of New York City, Queens County among them, and reports its arrests to the FBI as one agency, so they are not broken out for Queens County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Queens County
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody is held by the New York City Department of Correction, which runs the city's jails for all five boroughs; there is no county jail.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the local criminal court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iapps.courts.state.ny.us/webccos/queenscc.
Statewide, eCourts is the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily).
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The DMV runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Freedom of Information Law.
- The court file: from the local criminal court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Queens County police reports and Queens County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in New York?
0.08 percent blood alcohol; driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is charged from 0.05.
Where is a DWI case from Queens County heard?
In the local criminal court, brought by the District Attorney.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Queens County held?
In the New York City jail system, run by the New York City Department of Correction for all five boroughs.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in New York?
The DMV, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in New York?
10 years.
Is this the official Queens County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.