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.
Dakota County, Minnesota, has about 453,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Dakota County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Dakota 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: Dakota County public records, Dakota County arrest records, Dakota County warrants, Dakota County inmate search, Dakota County criminal records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
The DWI Law in Minnesota
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in Minnesota, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Dakota County
The Dakota County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Lakeville, Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Inver Grove Heights, Rosemount and five more cities make the DWI arrests in Dakota County.
Together, the 12 agencies in Dakota County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 6,406 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Dakota County does not break DWI out.
The Northfield Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Dakota County, so its arrests are not broken out for Dakota County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Dakota 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 Dakota County Sheriff's Office, held about 180 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at dakotacountymn.gov/residents/public-safety-justice/jail/inmate-search, phone 651-377-7188. The Dakota County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The County Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Dakota County District Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at dakotacountymn.gov/government/county-attorney, phone 651-438-4438.
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
A DWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by Driver and Vehicle Services. The driving record, kept by the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services, carries the result of both.
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 Dakota County District Court, kept by the court administrator.
- The driving record: from the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services.
More on each: Dakota County arrest records, Dakota County police reports and Dakota County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Minnesota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Dakota County heard?
In the Dakota 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 Dakota County held?
At the county jail, run by the Dakota 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 Dakota 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.