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 September 30, 2026.
Harlan County, Kentucky, has about 25,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Harlan 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: Harlan County public records, Harlan County arrest records, Harlan County warrants, Harlan County inmate search, Harlan 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 Harlan County
The Harlan County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Harlan, Cumberland, Lynch, Evarts, Loyall and Benham make the DUI arrests in Harlan County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Harlan County: Harlan County Schools and the Harlan Independent School District (other agency).
Together, the seven agencies in Harlan County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,276 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Harlan County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Harlan 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 Harlan County Sheriff's Office, held about 190 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 harlandc.com, phone 606-878-8922. The Harlan County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Harlan County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the District Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Harlan.aspx, phone 606-573-7114.
Kentucky has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Transportation Cabinet. The driving record, kept by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, carries the result of both.
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: Harlan County arrest records, Harlan County police reports and Harlan County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Harlan 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 Harlan County held?
At the county jail, run by the Harlan 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 Harlan 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.