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 24, 2026.
Louisa County, Iowa, has about 11,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Louisa County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Iowa District Court for Louisa 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: Louisa County public records, Louisa County arrest records, Louisa County warrants, Louisa County inmate search, Louisa County criminal 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 Louisa County
The Louisa County Sheriff's Office makes the OWI arrests in Louisa County.
The Louisa County Sheriff's Office reported 205 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Louisa County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Louisa 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 Louisa County Sheriff's Office, held about 14 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at louisacountyia.gov/government/departments-g-z/louisa-county-sheriff, phone (319) 627-2418. The Louisa County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Louisa County is brought by the County Attorney in the Iowa District Court for Louisa County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at louisacountyia.gov, phone (319) 627-2418.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at louisacountyia.gov/government/departments-a-f/louisa-county-clerk-o..., phone (319) 627-2418.
Statewide, Iowa Courts Online is the Iowa Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Transportation runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
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 Louisa County, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Louisa County arrest records, Louisa County police reports and Louisa County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Iowa?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Louisa County heard?
In the Iowa District Court for Louisa County, brought by the County Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at louisacountyia.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Louisa County held?
At the county jail, run by the Louisa 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 Louisa 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.