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 25, 2026.
Duluth, Minnesota, in St. Louis County, has about 88,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Duluth starts two cases, a criminal case in the St. Louis County District Court and a license case before Driver and Vehicle Services, 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: Duluth public records, St. Louis County DWI, Duluth arrest records, Duluth warrants, Duluth inmate search, Duluth criminal records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
The DWI Law in Minnesota
In Minnesota the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Minnesota 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 Driver and Vehicle Services, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Minnesota counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Duluth
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Duluth (filed by the FBI as Duluth Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Duluth.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in St. Louis County: the University of Minnesota at Duluth (campus police); the State Patrol at Virginia and the State Patrol at Duluth (state police); the State Patrol's two offices make the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 13 agencies in St. Louis County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5,143 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for St. Louis County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Duluth
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, held about 95 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at stlouiscountymn.gov/departments-a-z/sheriff/jail/jail-roster, phone 218-625-3581. The Duluth inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The County Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the St. Louis County District Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at stlouiscountymn.gov, phone 218-726-2323.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch, phone (651) 793-2400.
Statewide, Minnesota Court Records Online is the Minnesota Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. Driver and Vehicle Services runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services 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 Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
- The court file: from the St. Louis County District Court, kept by the court administrator.
- The driving record: from the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services.
More on each: Duluth arrest records, Duluth police reports and Duluth court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Minnesota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Duluth heard?
In the St. Louis County District Court, brought by the County Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at publicaccess.courts.state.mn.us/CaseSearch.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Duluth held?
At the county jail, run by the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in Minnesota?
Driver and Vehicle Services, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in Minnesota?
10 years.
Is this the official Duluth website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.