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 October 2, 2026.
Macomb, Illinois, in McDonough County, has about 15,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Macomb starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court of McDonough 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: Macomb public records, McDonough County DUI, Macomb arrest records, Macomb warrants, Macomb inmate search, Macomb 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 Macomb
The McDonough County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Macomb (filed by the FBI as Macomb Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Macomb.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in McDonough County: Western Illinois University (campus police).
Together, the two agencies in McDonough County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,241 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for McDonough County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Macomb
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the McDonough County Sheriff's Office, held about 38 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at ilsheriff.org/county/mcdonough, phone (217) 753-2372. The Macomb inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The State's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Circuit Court of McDonough County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mcg.mcdonough.il.us/statesattorney.html, phone (309)837-2309.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at illinoiscourts.gov/courts-directory/33/McDonough-County-Courthouse/..., phone (309) 837-4891.
Illinois has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Secretary of State. The driving record, kept by the Illinois Secretary of State, carries the result of both.
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 McDonough County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: Macomb arrest records and Macomb court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Macomb heard?
In the Circuit Court of McDonough 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 Macomb held?
At the county jail, run by the McDonough 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 Macomb 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.