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.
Desha County, Arkansas, has about 10,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Desha County 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: Desha County public records, Desha County arrest records, Desha County warrants, Desha County criminal records, Desha County court 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 Desha County
The Desha County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Dumas and McGehee make the DWI arrests in Desha County.
Together, the three agencies in Desha County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 197 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Desha County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Desha County
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Desha County Sheriff's Office, held about 39 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Desha County is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney 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 arcourtkiosk.org/desha-county/desha-county-circuit-court, phone 870.877.2411.
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: Desha County arrest records, Desha County police reports and Desha County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Arkansas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Desha County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at arcourtkiosk.org.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Desha County held?
At the county jail, run by the Desha 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 Desha 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.