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.
Santa Cruz County, Arizona, has about 51,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Santa Cruz County 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: Santa Cruz County public records, Santa Cruz County arrest records, Santa Cruz County warrants, Santa Cruz County inmate search, Santa Cruz County criminal records, Arizona arrest records and Arizona inmate search.
The DUI Law in Arizona
In Arizona the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Santa Cruz County
The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Nogales make the DUI arrests in Santa Cruz County.
Together, the two agencies in Santa Cruz County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,502 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Santa Cruz County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Santa Cruz County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, held about 130 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at santacruzcountyaz.gov/1056/Santa-Cruz-County-Sheriff, phone 520-761-7869. The Santa Cruz County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Santa Cruz County 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 County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at santacruzcountyaz.gov/155/County-Attorney, phone 520-375-7780.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at santacruzcountyaz.gov/782/High-Interest-Cases, phone (520) 375-7300.
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: Santa Cruz County arrest records, Santa Cruz County police reports and Santa Cruz County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Arizona?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Santa Cruz County heard?
In a Justice or Municipal Court, or the Superior Court when it is a felony.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Santa Cruz County held?
At the county jail, run by the Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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.