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.
Fayette County, Iowa, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Fayette County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Iowa District Court for Fayette 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: Fayette County public records, Fayette County arrest records, Fayette County warrants, Fayette County criminal records, Fayette County court records, Iowa arrest records and Iowa inmate search.
The OWI Law in Iowa
Drunk driving is charged as OWI in Iowa, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Fayette County
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Oelwein and West Union make the OWI arrests in Fayette County.
Together, the two agencies in Fayette County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 689 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Fayette County does not break OWI out.
The Sumner Police Department and the Fairbank Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Fayette County, so their arrests are not broken out for Fayette County here.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Fayette 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 Fayette County Sheriff's Office, held about 46 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Fayette County is brought by the County Attorney in the Iowa District Court for Fayette County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at fayettecounty.iowa.gov/departments/attorney, phone 319-283-1211.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at fayettecounty.iowa.gov/departments/clerk-of-court, phone 563-422-5694.
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 Fayette County, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Fayette County arrest records, Fayette County police reports and Fayette County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Iowa?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Fayette County heard?
In the Iowa District Court for Fayette County, brought by the County Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at fayettecounty.iowa.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Fayette County held?
At the county jail, run by the Fayette 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 Fayette 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.