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 on September 23, 2026.
Stephenson County, Illinois, has about 43,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Stephenson County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court of Stephenson 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: Stephenson County public records, Stephenson County arrest records, Stephenson County warrants, Stephenson County inmate search, Stephenson 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 Stephenson County
The Stephenson County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Freeport, Lena and German Valley make the DUI arrests in Stephenson County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Stephenson County: the Freeport Park District (other agency).
Together, the three agencies in Stephenson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,468 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Stephenson County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Stephenson 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 Stephenson County Sheriff's Office, held about 56 people on an average day in 2020 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at stephensoncountyil.gov/government/sheriff_s_office/jail_inmate_info..., phone 815-235-8254. The Stephenson County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Stephenson County is brought by the State's Attorney in the Circuit Court of Stephenson County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at stephensoncountyil.gov, phone 815-235-8279.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at stephensoncountyil.gov/government/circuit_clerk_and_court/index.php, phone 815-235-8266.
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 Stephenson County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: Stephenson County arrest records, Stephenson County police reports and Stephenson County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Stephenson County heard?
In the Circuit Court of Stephenson County, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at stephensoncountyil.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Stephenson County held?
At the county jail, run by the Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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.