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 September 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Kanawha County, West Virginia, has about 174,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Kanawha County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Magistrate Court and a license case before the Division of Motor Vehicles, 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: Kanawha County public records, Kanawha County warrants, Kanawha County inmate search, Kanawha County criminal records, Kanawha County court records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in West Virginia
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in West Virginia, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in West Virginia is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Division of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, West Virginia counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Kanawha County
The Kanawha County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Charleston, South Charleston, St. Albans, Dunbar, Nitro, Marmet and eight more cities make the DUI arrests in Kanawha County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Kanawha County: Bridge Valley Technical College and West Virginia State University (campus police); the Department of Natural Resources at Headquarters, the Department of Natural Resources in Kanawha County, the State Fire Marshal in Kanawha County and the Capitol Protective Services (state agency); Kanawha County Parks and Recreation and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (other agency); the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Academy State Police, the Kanawha County State Police, Parkway Authority, the South Charleston State Police and the Quincy State Police (state police); the Bureau of Criminal Investigation Academy State Police, the Kanawha County State Police, Parkway Authority and the South Charleston State Police make the arrests on the state highways.
The Montgomery Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Kanawha County, so its arrests are not broken out for Kanawha County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Kanawha County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the regional jail that serves Kanawha County, run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the state's inmate search is at dcr.wv.gov/offendersearch/Pages/default.aspx.
The Court Case
The Prosecuting Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Magistrate Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at kanawha.us/prosecuting-attorney, phone (304) 357-0300.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kanawhacounty.westvirginiacourt.us/court-records.html, phone 304-357-0440. That page belongs to a lower court, the Magistrate Court, not to the Kanawha County Circuit Court.
West Virginia has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Division of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the Magistrate Court, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Kanawha County police reports and Kanawha County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in West Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Kanawha County heard?
In the Magistrate Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kanawhacounty.westvirginiacourt.us.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Kanawha County held?
In the regional jail that serves Kanawha County, run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in West Virginia?
The Division of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in West Virginia?
10 years.
Is this the official Kanawha 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.