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 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026.
Canton, Illinois, in Fulton County, has about 13,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Canton starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court of Fulton County and a license case before the Secretary of State, 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: Canton public records, Fulton County DUI, Canton arrest records, Canton warrants, Canton inmate search, Canton criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The DUI Law in Illinois
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Illinois, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Illinois is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Secretary of State, separately from the criminal case.
Illinois sets no time limit on prior offenses: every earlier conviction counts toward a repeat charge.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Canton
The Fulton County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Canton (filed by the FBI as Canton Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Canton.
Together, the four agencies in Fulton County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,789 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Fulton County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Canton
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, held about 52 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at fultoncountyil.gov/officials/elected/the-county-police, phone (309) 547-2277. The Canton inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Canton is brought by the State's Attorney in the Circuit Court of Fulton County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at fultoncountyil.gov, phone (309) 547-3041.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov/courts-directory/13/Fulton-County-Courthouse/court, phone (309) 547-3041.
Illinois has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Secretary of State runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Illinois Secretary of State keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the Circuit Court of Fulton County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: Canton arrest records, Canton police reports and Canton court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Canton heard?
In the Circuit Court of Fulton County, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Canton held?
At the county jail, run by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Illinois?
The Secretary of State, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Illinois?
There is no time limit; every prior conviction counts.
Is this the official Canton 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.