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.
McDonough County, Illinois, has about 27,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in McDonough County 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: McDonough County public records, McDonough County arrest records, McDonough County warrants, McDonough County inmate search, McDonough 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 McDonough County
The McDonough County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Macomb, Bushnell, Colchester and Blandinsville make the DUI arrests in McDonough County.
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 McDonough 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 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 McDonough 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 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
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 McDonough County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: McDonough County arrest records, McDonough County police reports and McDonough County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from McDonough County 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 McDonough County 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 McDonough 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.