SearchSystems Editorial

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 30, 2026.

About this guide

Owen County, Indiana, has about 22,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Owen County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Owen 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: Owen County public records, Owen County arrest records, Owen County warrants, Owen County inmate search, Owen 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 Owen County

The Owen County Sheriff's Office makes the OWI arrests in Owen County.

The Owen County Sheriff's Office reported 1,152 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Owen County does not break OWI out.

Booking After an OWI Arrest in Owen 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 Owen County Sheriff's Office, held about 49 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at owencounty.in.gov/public-safety-emergency-services/sheriffs-office, phone (812) 829-5757. The Owen County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.

The Court Case

An OWI charge from Owen County is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the Owen Circuit and Superior Courts.

The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at owencounty.in.gov/departments/prosecutor, phone (812) 829-5005.

The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at in.gov/courts/local/owen-county.

Statewide, mycase.IN.gov is the Indiana courts' free statewide case search.

The License Case

An OWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.

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 Owen 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: Owen County arrest records, Owen County police reports and Owen County court records.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the OWI limit in Indiana?

0.08 percent blood alcohol.

Where is an OWI case from Owen County heard?

In the Owen Circuit and Superior Courts, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at in.gov/courts/local/owen-county.

Where is a person arrested for OWI in Owen County held?

At the county jail, run by the Owen 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 Owen 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.