Reviewed and updated October 11, 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 30, 2026 and October 11, 2026.
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, has about 47,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in St. Mary 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. Mary Parish public records, St. Mary Parish arrest records, St. Mary Parish warrants, St. Mary Parish inmate search, St. Mary Parish criminal records, Louisiana arrest records and Louisiana inmate search.
The DWI Law in Louisiana
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in Louisiana, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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. Mary Parish
The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Morgan City, Franklin, Patterson, Berwick and Baldwin make the DWI arrests in St. Mary Parish.
Together, the three agencies in St. Mary Parish with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,513 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for St. Mary Parish does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in St. Mary 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. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, held about 18 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at stmaryso.com/inmate-roster/filters/current/booking_time=desc/1. The St. Mary Parish inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from St. Mary Parish is brought by the District Attorney in the District Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at 16jda.com.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the parish is at 16jdc.org, phone 337-369-4410.
Louisiana 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 Office of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
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. Mary Parish arrest records, St. Mary Parish police reports and St. Mary 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. Mary Parish heard?
In the District Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the parish is at 16jdc.org.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in St. Mary Parish held?
At the parish jail, run by the St. Mary 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. Mary 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.