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.
McDonald County, Missouri, has about 24,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in McDonald County starts two cases, a criminal case in the McDonald County Circuit Court and a license case before the Department of Revenue, 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: McDonald County public records, McDonald County arrest records, McDonald County warrants, McDonald County inmate search, McDonald County criminal records, Missouri arrest records and Missouri inmate search.
The DWI Law in Missouri
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in Missouri, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Missouri 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 the Department of Revenue, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in McDonald County
The McDonald County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Noel, Anderson, Goodman, Southwest City, Pineville and Lanagan make the DWI arrests in McDonald County.
Together, the six agencies in McDonald County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 290 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for McDonald County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in McDonald 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 McDonald County Sheriff's Office, held about 38 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at mcdonaldcountysheriff.com/detention_center.html, phone 417-895-6868. The McDonald County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The Prosecuting Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the McDonald County Circuit Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mcdonaldcountymo.gov/prosecuting-attorney, phone 417-223-4142.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=1663.
Statewide, Case.net is the Missouri courts' 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 the Department of Revenue. The driving record, kept by the Missouri Department of Revenue Driver License Bureau, carries the result of both.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Missouri Sunshine Law.
- The court file: from the McDonald County Circuit Court, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Missouri Department of Revenue Driver License Bureau.
More on each: McDonald County arrest records, McDonald County police reports and McDonald County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Missouri?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from McDonald County heard?
In the McDonald County Circuit Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in McDonald County held?
At the county jail, run by the McDonald County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in Missouri?
The Department of Revenue, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official McDonald 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.