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.
Hopkins County, Kentucky, has about 45,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Hopkins 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: Hopkins County public records, Hopkins County arrest records, Hopkins County warrants, Hopkins County inmate search, Hopkins County criminal 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 Hopkins County
The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Madisonville and Dawson Springs make the DUI arrests in Hopkins County.
Together, the two agencies in Hopkins County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,919 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Hopkins County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Hopkins 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 Hopkins County Sheriff's Office, held about 420 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 hopkinscounty.ky.gov/index.php/elected-officials/county-sheriff, phone (270) 821-8294. The Hopkins County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Hopkins County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the District Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at hopkinscounty.ky.gov/index.php/elected-officials/judicial-information, phone (270) 821-8294.
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: Hopkins County arrest records, Hopkins County police reports and Hopkins County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Kentucky?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Hopkins County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at hopkinscounty.ky.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Hopkins County held?
At the county jail, run by the Hopkins 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 Hopkins 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.