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 on September 23, 2026.
Branch County, Michigan, has about 46,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Branch County starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Secretary of State, 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: Branch County public records, Branch County arrest records, Branch County warrants, Branch County inmate search, Branch County criminal records, Michigan arrest records and Michigan inmate search.
The OWI Law in Michigan
Drunk driving is charged as OWI in Michigan, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Michigan is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect OWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Secretary of State, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Michigan counts prior offenses within 7 years for a second offense; a third is a felony with no time limit.
Who Makes OWI Arrests in Branch County
The Branch County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Coldwater, Bronson, Union City and Quincy make the OWI arrests in Branch County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Branch County: the Branch County State Police (state police); the Branch County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the three agencies in Branch County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 436 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Branch County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Branch County
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Branch County Sheriff's Office, held about 98 people on an average day in 2020 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at branchcounty.gov/sheriff/jail, phone 517.278.2325. The Branch County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Branch County is brought by the Prosecuting Attorney in the District Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at branchcounty.gov, phone 517.279.4319.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at branchcounty.gov/departments/county-clerk/court-record-searches, phone 517.279.4306.
Statewide, MiCOURT Case Search is the Michigan courts' statewide case search; not every court has joined.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Secretary of State runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Michigan Secretary of State keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records an OWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Michigan Secretary of State.
More on each: Branch County arrest records, Branch County police reports and Branch County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Michigan?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Branch County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at branchcounty.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Branch County held?
At the county jail, run by the Branch County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after an OWI arrest in Michigan?
The Secretary of State, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does an OWI count as a prior in Michigan?
7 years for a second offense; a third is a felony with no time limit.
Is this the official Branch 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.