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 4, 2026.
Franklin County, Kentucky, has about 52,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Franklin 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: Franklin County public records, Franklin County arrest records, Franklin County warrants, Franklin County inmate search, Franklin County 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 Franklin County
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Frankfort make the DUI arrests in Franklin County.
The FBI's agency list also places eight state agencies and one campus police department in Franklin County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the two agencies in Franklin County with all twelve months of 2023 on file reported 7,701 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Franklin County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Franklin 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 Franklin County Sheriff's Office, held about 410 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 franklincounty.ky.gov/jailer, phone (502) 875-8713. The Franklin County 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 franklincounty.ky.gov/attorney, phone (502) 875-8745.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Franklin.aspx, phone 502-564-7013.
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: Franklin County arrest records, Franklin County police reports and Franklin County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Franklin 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 Franklin County held?
At the county jail, run by the Franklin 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 Franklin 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.