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 23, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
Swainsboro, Georgia, in Emanuel County, has about 7,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Swainsboro starts two cases, a criminal case (in the State Court, or the Probate Court in counties without one) and a license case before the Department 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: Swainsboro public records, Emanuel County DUI, Swainsboro arrest records, Swainsboro warrants, Swainsboro inmate search, Swainsboro criminal records, Georgia arrest records and Georgia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Georgia
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Georgia, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Georgia 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 Department of Driver Services, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Georgia counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Swainsboro
The Emanuel County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Swainsboro (filed by the FBI as Swainsboro Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Swainsboro.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Emanuel County: East Georgia State College (campus police); the State Patrol at Swainsboro (state police); the State Patrol at Swainsboro makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the two agencies in Emanuel County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,266 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Emanuel County does not break DUI out.
The Adrian Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Emanuel County, so its arrests are not broken out for Emanuel County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Swainsboro
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Emanuel County Sheriff's Office, held about 59 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at emanuelcosheriff.com/current-inmates. The Swainsboro inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Swainsboro is brought by the District Attorney in the State Court, or the Probate Court in counties without one.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at emanuelco-ga.gov/240/Superior-Court, phone 478-237-6191.
Georgia has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Driver Services. The driving record, kept by the Georgia Department of Driver Services, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Georgia Open Records Act.
- The court file: from the State Court, or the Probate Court in counties without one, kept by the Clerk of Superior Court.
- The driving record: from the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
More on each: Swainsboro arrest records, Swainsboro police reports and Swainsboro court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Georgia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Swainsboro heard?
In the State Court, or the Probate Court in counties without one, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at emanuelco-ga.gov/240/Superior-Court.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Swainsboro held?
At the county jail, run by the Emanuel County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Georgia?
The Department of Driver Services, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Georgia?
10 years.
Is this the official Swainsboro 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.