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 2, 2026.
Crow Wing County, Minnesota, has about 69,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Crow Wing County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Crow Wing 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: Crow Wing County public records, Crow Wing County arrest records, Crow Wing County warrants, Crow Wing County inmate search, Crow Wing County 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 Crow Wing County
The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Brainerd, Baxter, Breezy Point, Pequot Lakes, Crosslake, Crosby and three more cities make the DWI arrests in Crow Wing County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Crow Wing County: the State Patrol at Brainerd (state police); the State Patrol at Brainerd makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the nine agencies in Crow Wing County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,516 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Crow Wing County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Crow Wing County
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office, held about 85 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at crowwing.gov/1532/In-Custody-List. The Crow Wing County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Crow Wing County is brought by the County Attorney in the Crow Wing County District Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at crowwing.gov/522/Adult-Prosecution, phone 218-828-2311.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mncourts.gov/find-courts/crow-wing.
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 Crow Wing County District Court, kept by the court administrator.
- The driving record: from the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services.
More on each: Crow Wing County arrest records, Crow Wing County police reports and Crow Wing County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Minnesota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Crow Wing County heard?
In the Crow Wing County District Court, brought by the County Attorney.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Crow Wing County held?
At the county jail, run by the Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing 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.