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 October 4, 2026.
Fayetteville, Arkansas, in Washington County, has about 103,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Fayetteville 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: Fayetteville public records, Washington County DWI, Fayetteville arrest records, Fayetteville warrants, Fayetteville inmate search, Fayetteville 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 Fayetteville
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Fayetteville (filed by the FBI as Fayetteville Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Fayetteville.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Washington County: the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (campus police); the State Park at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park and the State Park at Devil's Den State Park (state agency).
Together, the 12 agencies in Washington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,948 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Washington County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Fayetteville
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, held about 780 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/sheriff, phone (479) 444-5700. The Fayetteville inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Fayetteville is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at washingtoncountyar.gov, phone (479) 444-1570.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at caseinfo.arcourts.gov/opad.
Statewide, CourtConnect is the Arkansas Judiciary's free statewide case search.
The License Case
A DWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Office of Driver Services. The driving record, kept by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Driver Services, carries the result of both.
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: Fayetteville arrest records and Fayetteville court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Arkansas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Fayetteville heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at caseinfo.arcourts.gov/opad.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Fayetteville held?
At the county jail, run by the Washington 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 Fayetteville 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.