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 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Iowa City, Iowa, in Johnson County, has about 77,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Iowa City starts two cases, a criminal case in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County and a license case before the Department of Transportation, 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: Iowa City public records, Johnson County OWI, Iowa City arrest records, Iowa City warrants, Iowa City criminal records, Iowa City court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
The OWI Law in Iowa
In Iowa the offense is OWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Iowa is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect OWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Transportation, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes OWI Arrests in Iowa City
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Iowa City (filed by the FBI as Iowa City Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Iowa City.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Johnson County: the University of Iowa (campus police).
Together, the five agencies in Johnson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,610 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Johnson County does not break OWI out.
The West Branch Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Johnson County, so its arrests are not broken out for Johnson County here.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Iowa City
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, held about 69 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Iowa City is brought by the County Attorney in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at johnsoncountyiowa.gov, phone 319-339-6100.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-6/distr..., phone 319-356-6060.
Statewide, Iowa Courts Online is the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
The License Case
An OWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Transportation. The driving record, kept by the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division, carries the result of both.
The Records an OWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Iowa Open Records Law (Chapter 22).
- The court file: from the Iowa District Court for Johnson County, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Iowa City arrest records, Iowa City police reports and Iowa City court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Iowa?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Iowa City heard?
In the Iowa District Court for Johnson County, brought by the County Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Iowa City held?
At the county jail, run by the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after an OWI arrest in Iowa?
The Department of Transportation, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Iowa City 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.