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 24, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Owensboro, Kentucky, in Daviess County, has about 61,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Owensboro starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Transportation Cabinet, 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: Owensboro public records, Daviess County DUI, Owensboro arrest records, Owensboro warrants, Owensboro inmate search, Owensboro criminal records, Kentucky arrest records and Kentucky inmate search.
The DUI Law in Kentucky
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Kentucky, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Kentucky 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 Transportation Cabinet, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Kentucky counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Owensboro
The Daviess County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Owensboro (filed by the FBI as Owensboro Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Owensboro.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Daviess County: Daviess County Public Schools (other agency).
Together, the two agencies in Daviess County with all twelve months of 2023 on file reported 4,623 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Daviess County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Owensboro
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Daviess County Sheriff's Office, held about 560 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at dcsoky.gov, phone 270-685-8444. The Owensboro inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The Commonwealth's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at daviessky.org, phone 270-685-8442.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Daviess.aspx, phone 270-687-7329.
Kentucky 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 Transportation Cabinet runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet 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 Kentucky Open Records Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
More on each: Owensboro arrest records, Owensboro police reports and Owensboro court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Owensboro heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Owensboro held?
At the county jail, run by the Daviess County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Kentucky?
The Transportation Cabinet, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Kentucky?
10 years.
Is this the official Owensboro website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.