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 2, 2026.
St. James Parish, Louisiana, has about 19,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in St. James Parish starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Office of Motor Vehicles, 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: St. James Parish public records, St. James Parish arrest records, St. James Parish warrants, St. James Parish inmate search, St. James Parish criminal records, Louisiana arrest records and Louisiana inmate search.
The DWI Law in Louisiana
In Louisiana the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Louisiana is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Office of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in St. James Parish
The St. James Parish Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Lutcher and Gramercy make the DWI arrests in St. James Parish.
Together, the two agencies in St. James Parish with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 279 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for St. James Parish does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in St. James Parish
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the parish jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office, held about 58 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at stjamessheriff.com/inmateSearch, phone (225) 562-2200. The St. James Parish inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from St. James Parish is brought by the District Attorney in the District Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at 23rdda.org.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the parish is at stjamesclerk.com/records.
Louisiana has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Office of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Louisiana Public Records Law.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the Clerk of Court.
- The driving record: from the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: St. James Parish arrest records, St. James Parish police reports and St. James Parish court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Louisiana?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from St. James Parish heard?
In the District Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the parish is at stjamesclerk.com/records.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in St. James Parish held?
At the parish jail, run by the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in Louisiana?
The Office of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official St. James Parish website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official parish, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.