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.
Marion County, Iowa, has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Marion County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Iowa District Court for Marion 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: Marion County public records, Marion County arrest records, Marion County warrants, Marion County inmate search, Marion 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 Marion County
The Marion County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Pella, Knoxville and Pleasantville make the OWI arrests in Marion County.
Together, the two agencies in Marion County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 266 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Marion County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Marion 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 Marion County Sheriff's Office, held about 35 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at marioncountyiowa.gov/sheriff/whos_in_jail. The Marion County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The County Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Iowa District Court for Marion County.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at marioncountyiowa.gov.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at iowacourts.gov/iowa-courts/district-court/judicial-district-5/distr..., phone 641-828-2207.
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 Marion County, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the Iowa Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Marion County arrest records, Marion County police reports and Marion County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Iowa?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Marion County heard?
In the Iowa District Court for Marion 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 Marion County held?
At the county jail, run by the Marion 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 Marion 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.