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 2, 2026.
Monticello, Arkansas, in Drew County, has about 8,200 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Monticello 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: Monticello public records, Drew County DWI, Monticello arrest records, Monticello warrants, Monticello inmate search, Monticello criminal records, Arkansas arrest records and Arkansas inmate search.
The DWI Law in Arkansas
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in Arkansas, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Monticello
The Drew County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Monticello (filed by the FBI as Monticello Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Monticello.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Drew County: the University of Arkansas at Monticello (campus police).
Together, the two agencies in Drew County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 284 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Drew County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Monticello
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Drew County Sheriff's Office, held about 41 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at drewcountysheriff.com/jail. The Monticello inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The Prosecuting Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at arcourts.gov/circuit/?q=prosecuting-attorney, phone 870-261-1747.
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: Monticello arrest records, Monticello police reports and Monticello court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Arkansas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Monticello 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 Monticello held?
At the county jail, run by the Drew 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 Monticello 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.