Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. 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 4, 2026.
Newton County, Indiana, has about 14,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Newton County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Newton Circuit and Superior Courts and a license case before the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 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: Newton County public records, Newton County arrest records, Newton County warrants, Newton County inmate search, Newton County criminal records, Indiana arrest records and Indiana inmate search.
The OWI Law in Indiana
In Indiana the offense is OWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Indiana is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect OWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes OWI Arrests in Newton County
The Newton County Sheriff's Office makes the OWI arrests in Newton County.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Newton County
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Newton County Sheriff's Office, held about 53 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at newtoncounty.in.gov/department/?structureid=30, phone (219) 474-3331. The Newton County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Newton County is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the Newton Circuit and Superior Courts.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at newtoncounty.in.gov, phone (219) 474-5777.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at in.gov/courts/local/newton-county.
Statewide, mycase.IN.gov is the Indiana courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records an OWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Indiana Access to Public Records Act.
- The court file: from the Newton Circuit and Superior Courts, kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Newton County arrest records, Newton County police reports and Newton County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Indiana?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Newton County heard?
In the Newton Circuit and Superior Courts, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at in.gov/courts/local/newton-county.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Newton County held?
At the county jail, run by the Newton County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after an OWI arrest in Indiana?
The Bureau of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Newton 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.