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.
St. Mary's County, Maryland, has about 116,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in St. Mary's 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: St. Mary's County public records, St. Mary's County arrest records, St. Mary's County warrants, St. Mary's County inmate search, St. Mary's County criminal records, Maryland arrest records and Maryland inmate search.
The DUI Law in Maryland
In Maryland the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08; 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 St. Mary's County
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in St. Mary's County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in St. Mary's County: the St. Mary's County State Police (state police); St. Mary's College (campus police); the St. Mary's County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office reported 1,792 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for St. Mary's County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office, held about 210 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at publicportal.stmaryscountymd.gov. The St. Mary's County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from St. Mary's County is brought by the State's Attorney in the District Court.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at stmaryscountymd.gov/sao, phone (301) 475-4200.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.state.md.us/clerks/stmarys/records, phone 301-475-7844.
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: St. Mary's County arrest records, St. Mary's County police reports and St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's 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/stmarys/records.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in St. Mary's County held?
At the county jail, run by the St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's 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.