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.
Hennepin County, Minnesota, has about 1.3 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Hennepin County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Hennepin 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: Hennepin County public records, Hennepin County arrest records, Hennepin County warrants, Hennepin County inmate search, Hennepin 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 Hennepin County
The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Minneapolis, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie and 20 more cities make the DWI arrests in Hennepin County.
The FBI's agency list also places one campus police department, three other agencies and one state police unit in Hennepin County (the arrest records guide names each one); the State Patrol at Golden Valley makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 29 agencies in Hennepin County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 25,183 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Hennepin County does not break DWI out.
The St. Anthony Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Hennepin County, so its arrests are not broken out for Hennepin County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Hennepin 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 Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, held about 720 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/police-public-saf..., phone 612-348-5112. The Hennepin County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Hennepin County is brought by the County Attorney in the Hennepin County District Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at hennepincounty.gov.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mncourts.gov/find-courts/hennepin/records-center-hennepin.
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 Hennepin County District Court, kept by the court administrator.
- The driving record: from the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services.
More on each: Hennepin County arrest records, Hennepin County police reports and Hennepin County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Minnesota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Hennepin County heard?
In the Hennepin County District Court, brought by the County Attorney.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Hennepin County held?
At the county jail, run by the Hennepin 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 Hennepin 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.