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.
Fayette County, Kentucky, has about 329,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Fayette 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: Fayette County public records, Fayette County arrest records, Fayette County warrants, Fayette County criminal records, Fayette County court 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 Fayette County
The Fayette County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Fayette County.
The FBI's agency list also places two campus police departments, two other agencies and one state agency in Fayette County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the two agencies in Fayette County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 13,109 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Fayette County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Fayette 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 Fayette County Sheriff's Office, held about 850 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Fayette County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at lexingtonprosecutor.com.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Fayette/Pages/Fayette.aspx.
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: Fayette County arrest records, Fayette County police reports and Fayette County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Fayette 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 Fayette County held?
At the county jail, run by the Fayette 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 Fayette 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.