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 September 30, 2026.
Kent County, Maryland, has about 20,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Kent 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: Kent County public records, Kent County arrest records, Kent County warrants, Kent County inmate search, Kent 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 Kent County
The Kent County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Chestertown and Rock Hall make the DUI arrests in Kent County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Kent County: the Kent County State Police (state police); the Kent County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the three agencies in Kent County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 581 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Kent County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Kent 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 Kent County Sheriff's Office, held about 40 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at sheriff.kentcounty.com, phone 410-778-2279. The Kent County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The State's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the District Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.state.md.us/clerks/kent/records, phone 410-778-7460.
Statewide, Maryland Judiciary Case Search is the free statewide case search of every Maryland court.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Motor Vehicle Administration. The driving record, kept by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, carries the result of both.
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: Kent County arrest records, Kent County police reports and Kent 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 Kent County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.state.md.us/clerks/kent/records.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Kent County held?
At the county jail, run by the Kent 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 Kent 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.