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 23, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Frederick County, Maryland, has about 299,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Frederick County starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Motor Vehicle Administration, 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: Frederick County public records, Frederick County arrest records, Frederick County warrants, Frederick County inmate search, Frederick County criminal records, Maryland arrest records and Maryland inmate search.
The DUI Law in Maryland
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Maryland, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more; driving while impaired (DWI) is charged from 0.07.
Driving in Maryland 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 Motor Vehicle Administration, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Frederick County
The Frederick County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Frederick, Brunswick and Thurmont make the DUI arrests in Frederick County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Frederick County: the Frederick County State Police (state police); the Frederick County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the four agencies in Frederick County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5,255 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Frederick County does not break DUI out.
The Mount Airy Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Frederick County, so its arrests are not broken out for Frederick County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Frederick 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 Frederick County Sheriff's Office, held about 280 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at frederickcountymd.gov/677/Sheriff-Adult-Detention?NID=677. The Frederick County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Frederick County is brought by the State's Attorney in the District Court.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at frederickcountymd.gov, phone 301-600-1523.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mdcourts.gov/courtsdirectory/frederick, phone 301-600-1976.
Statewide, Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Motor Vehicle Administration runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration 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 Maryland Public Information Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration.
More on each: Frederick County arrest records, Frederick County police reports and Frederick County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Maryland?
0.08 percent blood alcohol; driving while impaired (DWI) is charged from 0.07.
Where is a DUI case from Frederick County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mdcourts.gov/courtsdirectory/frederick.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Frederick County held?
At the county jail, run by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Maryland?
The Motor Vehicle Administration, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Frederick 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.