Reviewed and updated October 11, 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 October 11, 2026.
Batesville, Arkansas, in Independence County, has about 12,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Batesville starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Office of Driver Services, 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: Batesville public records, Independence County DWI, Batesville arrest records, Batesville warrants, Batesville inmate search, Batesville criminal records, Arkansas arrest records and Arkansas inmate search.
The DWI Law in Arkansas
In Arkansas the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Arkansas 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 Office of Driver Services, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Batesville
The Independence County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Batesville (filed by the FBI as Batesville Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Batesville.
Together, the three agencies in Independence County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 510 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Independence County does not break DWI out.
The Cave City Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Independence County, so its arrests are not broken out for Independence County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Batesville
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Independence County Sheriff's Office, held about 33 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at independencesheriff.org/current-inmate-list. The Batesville inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Batesville is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at independencecounty.com/prosecuting-attorney, phone 870-793-8825.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at independencecounty.com/district-court, phone 870-793-8817.
Statewide, CourtConnect is the Arkansas Judiciary's free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Office of Driver Services runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services 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 Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services.
More on each: Batesville arrest records, Batesville police reports and Batesville court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Arkansas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Batesville heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at independencecounty.com/district-court.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Batesville held?
At the county jail, run by the Independence County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in Arkansas?
The Office of Driver Services, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Batesville 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.