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 9, 2026.
Richmond, Kentucky, in Madison County, has about 40,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Richmond 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: Richmond public records, Madison County DUI, Richmond arrest records, Richmond warrants, Richmond inmate search, Richmond criminal records, Kentucky arrest records and Kentucky inmate search.
The DUI Law in Kentucky
In Kentucky the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Richmond
The Madison County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Richmond (filed by the FBI as Richmond Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Richmond.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Madison County: Eastern Kentucky University (campus police); Madison County Public Schools (other agency).
Together, the three agencies in Madison County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,103 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Madison County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Richmond
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Madison County Sheriff's Office, held about 260 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 sheriffrandytucker.com/madison-county-detention-center. The Richmond 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 madisoncountyky.gov/attorney/attorney-staff.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Madison.aspx, phone 859-624-4713.
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: Richmond arrest records, Richmond police reports and Richmond court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Richmond 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 Richmond held?
At the county jail, run by the Madison 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 Richmond 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.