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.
Black Hawk County, Iowa, has about 132,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Black Hawk County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk 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: Black Hawk County public records, Black Hawk County arrest records, Black Hawk County warrants, Black Hawk County inmate search, Black Hawk County criminal 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 Black Hawk County
The Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Evansdale make the OWI arrests in Black Hawk County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Black Hawk County: the University of Northern Iowa (campus police).
Together, the four agencies in Black Hawk County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,328 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Black Hawk County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Black Hawk County
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Black Hawk County Sheriff's Office, held about 260 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at bhcso.org/whos-in-jail. The Black Hawk County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Black Hawk County is brought by the County Attorney in the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at blackhawkcounty.iowa.gov/716/Attorneys-Office, phone 319-833-3001.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-1/distr..., phone 319-833-3331.
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 Black Hawk County, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Black Hawk County arrest records, Black Hawk County police reports and Black Hawk County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Iowa?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Black Hawk County heard?
In the Iowa District Court for Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk County held?
At the county jail, run by the Black Hawk 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 Black Hawk 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.