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 1, 2026.
Hamilton County, Illinois, has about 7,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Hamilton County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court of Hamilton 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: Hamilton County public records, Hamilton County arrest records, Hamilton County warrants, Hamilton County inmate search, Hamilton County 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 Hamilton County
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for McLeansboro make the DUI arrests in Hamilton County.
Together, the two agencies in Hamilton County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 29 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Hamilton County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Hamilton County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, held about 16 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at inmate.hamiltonsheriff.com/smartwebclient/jail.aspx. The Hamilton County 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 Hamilton County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at hamiltoncountyil.gov, phone (618) 643-3021.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at hamiltoncountyil.gov/departments/circuit-clerk, phone (618) 643-3224.
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 Hamilton County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: Hamilton County arrest records, Hamilton County police reports and Hamilton County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Hamilton County heard?
In the Circuit Court of Hamilton County, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at hamiltoncountyil.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Hamilton County held?
At the county jail, run by the Hamilton 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 Hamilton 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.