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 on September 23, 2026.
Effingham County, Georgia, has about 73,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Effingham County 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: Effingham County public records, Effingham County arrest records, Effingham County warrants, Effingham County inmate search, Effingham County criminal records, Georgia arrest records and Georgia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Georgia
In Georgia the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Effingham County
The Effingham County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Rincon, Springfield and Guyton make the DUI arrests in Effingham County.
Together, the three agencies in Effingham County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 731 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Effingham County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Effingham 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 Effingham County Sheriff's Office, held about 170 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at effinghamsheriff.org/156/Jail, phone 912-754-3449. The Effingham County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Effingham County is brought by the District Attorney in the State Court, or the Probate Court in counties without one.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at pacga.org, phone 912-764-9924.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at effinghamclerk.org/case-management, phone (912) 754-2118.
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: Effingham County arrest records, Effingham County police reports and Effingham County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Georgia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Effingham County 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 effinghamclerk.org/case-management.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Effingham County held?
At the county jail, run by the Effingham 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 Effingham 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.