Reviewed and updated October 9, 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 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Etowah County, Alabama, has about 103,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Etowah County starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court or a municipal court and a license case before ALEA, 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: Etowah County public records, Etowah County arrest records, Etowah County warrants, Etowah County criminal records, Etowah County court records, Alabama arrest records and Alabama inmate search.
The DUI Law in Alabama
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Alabama, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Alabama 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 ALEA, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Etowah County
The Etowah County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Gadsden, Rainbow City, Southside, Attalla, Glencoe, Hokes Bluff and three more cities make the DUI arrests in Etowah County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Etowah County: Etowah County Drug Enforcement Unit (other agency).
Together, the nine agencies in Etowah County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,429 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Etowah County does not break DUI out.
The Boaz Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Etowah County, so its arrests are not broken out for Etowah County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Etowah County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Etowah County Sheriff's Office, held about 510 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
The case is heard in the District Court or a municipal court, brought by the District Attorney or, in a municipal court, by the city's own prosecutor.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at etowahda.com.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at etowah.alacourt.gov, phone 256-549-5372.
Statewide, Alacourt is the statewide online index of Alabama trial court cases, sold by subscription.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by ALEA. The driving record, kept by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Alabama Public Records Law.
- The court file: from the District Court or a municipal court, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
More on each: Etowah County arrest records, Etowah County police reports and Etowah County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Alabama?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Etowah County heard?
In the District Court or a municipal court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at etowah.alacourt.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Etowah County held?
At the county jail, run by the Etowah County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Alabama?
ALEA, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Etowah 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.