Reviewed and updated October 11, 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 11, 2026.
Ballard County, Kentucky, has about 7,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Ballard County 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: Ballard County public records, Ballard County arrest records, Ballard County warrants, Ballard County criminal records, Ballard County court 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 Ballard County
The Ballard County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Ballard County.
The Ballard County Sheriff's Office reported 229 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Ballard County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Ballard 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 Ballard County Sheriff's Office, held about 66 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Ballard County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at ballardcounty.ky.gov/DA/Pages/Local.aspx, phone (270) 665-8412.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Ballard.aspx, phone 270-335-5123.
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: Ballard County arrest records, Ballard County police reports and Ballard County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Ballard County 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 Ballard County held?
At the county jail, run by the Ballard 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 Ballard 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.