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. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Houston, Texas, in Harris County, has about 2.4 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Houston starts two cases, a criminal case in the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony and a license case before the Department of Public Safety, 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: Houston public records, Harris County public records, Houston warrants, Houston inmate search, Houston criminal records, Houston court records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
The DWI Law in Texas
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in Texas, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Texas 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 Department of Public Safety, separately from the criminal case.
Texas sets no time limit on prior offenses: every earlier conviction counts toward a repeat charge.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Houston
The Harris County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Houston (filed by the FBI as Houston Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Houston.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Harris County: the Galena Park Independent School District, the Harris County Constable's Precincts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, the La Porte Fire Marshal's Office, the Houston Independent School District and 19 more (other agency); the University of Texas at Houston, the University of Houston's Central and Downtown Campuses, Texas Southern University, San Jacinto College's Central Campus and six more (campus police).
The Waller Police Department, the Stafford Police Department, the Missouri City Police Department and three more are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Harris County, so their arrests are not broken out for Harris County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Houston
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, held about 7,050 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at harriscountyso.org/JailInfo/Default, phone 866-268-8959. The Houston inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Houston is brought by the District Attorney in the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at dao.harriscountytx.gov, phone 713-274-5800.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jpwebsite.harriscountytx.gov/FindMyCase/search.jsp. That page belongs to a lower court, the County Courts and Justice Courts, not to the Harris County District Court.
Texas has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Public Safety. The driving record, kept by the Texas Department of Public Safety, carries the result of both.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Texas Public Information Act.
- The court file: from the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony, kept by the District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases.
- The driving record: from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
More on each: Houston police reports and Houston court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Texas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Houston heard?
In the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jpwebsite.harriscountytx.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Houston held?
At the county jail, run by the Harris County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in Texas?
The Department of Public Safety, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in Texas?
There is no time limit; every prior conviction counts.
Is this the official Houston website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.