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 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Tucson, Arizona, in Pima County, has about 554,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Tucson starts two cases, a criminal case (in a Justice or Municipal Court, or the Superior Court when it is a felony) and a license case before the Motor Vehicle Division, 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: Tucson public records, Pima County DUI, Tucson arrest records, Tucson warrants, Tucson inmate search, Tucson criminal records, Arizona arrest records and Arizona inmate search.
The DUI Law in Arizona
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Arizona, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Arizona 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 the Motor Vehicle Division, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Arizona counts prior offenses within 7 years (84 months).
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Tucson
The Pima County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Tucson (filed by the FBI as Tucson Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Tucson.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Pima County: the Tucson Airport Authority (other agency); the University of Arizona and Pima Community College (campus police).
Together, the six agencies in Pima County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 26,917 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Pima County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Tucson
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Pima County Sheriff's Office, held about 1,600 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at sheriff.pima.gov/inmate. The Tucson inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Tucson is heard in a Justice or Municipal Court, or the Superior Court when it is a felony; the County Attorney or, in a municipal court, the city's own prosecutor brings it.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jp.pima.gov/CaseSearch, phone (520) 724-3171. That page belongs to a lower court, the Justice Courts, not to the Pima County Superior Court.
Statewide, Public Access to Court Information is the Arizona Judicial Branch's free statewide case search; the Maricopa and Pima county courts run their own.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Motor Vehicle Division. The driving record, kept by the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Arizona Public Records Law.
- The court file: from a Justice or Municipal Court, or the Superior Court when it is a felony, kept by the Clerk of the Superior Court.
- The driving record: from the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Tucson arrest records, Tucson police reports and Tucson court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Arizona?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Tucson heard?
In a Justice or Municipal Court, or the Superior Court when it is a felony. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jp.pima.gov/CaseSearch.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Tucson held?
At the county jail, run by the Pima County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Arizona?
The Motor Vehicle Division, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Arizona?
7 years (84 months).
Is this the official Tucson 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.