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.
Winnebago County, Illinois, has about 284,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Winnebago County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court of Winnebago 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: Winnebago County public records, Winnebago County arrest records, Winnebago County warrants, Winnebago County inmate search, Winnebago County criminal records, Illinois arrest records and Illinois inmate search.
The DUI Law in Illinois
In Illinois the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Winnebago County
The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Rockford, Loves Park, Machesney Park, Roscoe, South Beloit, Rockton and four more cities make the DUI arrests in Winnebago County.
The FBI's agency list also places one campus police department and three other agencies in Winnebago County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the 11 agencies in Winnebago County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,899 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Winnebago County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Winnebago 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 Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, held about 730 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at inmates.winnebagosheriff.com. The Winnebago 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 Winnebago County.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at circuitclerk.wincoil.gov/access-court-records, phone 815-319-4500.
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 Winnebago County, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Illinois Secretary of State.
More on each: Winnebago County arrest records, Winnebago County police reports and Winnebago County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Illinois?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Winnebago County heard?
In the Circuit Court of Winnebago County, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at circuitclerk.wincoil.gov/access-court-records.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Winnebago County held?
At the county jail, run by the Winnebago 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 Winnebago 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.