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.
St. Louis County, Minnesota, has about 201,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in St. Louis County 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: St. Louis County public records, St. Louis County arrest records, St. Louis County warrants, St. Louis County inmate search, St. Louis 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 St. Louis County
The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Duluth, Hibbing, Hermantown, Virginia, Chisholm, Eveleth and five more cities make the DWI arrests in St. Louis County.
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 St. Louis 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 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 St. Louis 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 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: St. Louis County arrest records, St. Louis County police reports and St. Louis County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Minnesota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from St. Louis County 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 St. Louis County 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 St. Louis 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.