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 September 25, 2026.
Wilmington, North Carolina, in New Hanover County, has about 125,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Wilmington starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court and a license case before the Division of Motor Vehicles, 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: Wilmington public records, New Hanover County DWI, Wilmington arrest records, Wilmington warrants, Wilmington inmate search, Wilmington criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
The DWI Law in North Carolina
In North Carolina the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in North Carolina 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 Division of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, North Carolina counts prior offenses within 7 years.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Wilmington
The New Hanover County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Wilmington (filed by the FBI as Wilmington Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Wilmington.
The FBI's agency list also places two state agencies, one campus police department and one other agency in New Hanover County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the five agencies in New Hanover County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 6,206 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for New Hanover County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Wilmington
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, held about 490 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at p2c.nhcgov.com/p2c/jailinmates.aspx. The Wilmington inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Wilmington is brought by the District Attorney in the District Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at nccourts.gov, phone (910) 772-6600.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county.
Statewide, eCourts Portal is the North Carolina Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Division of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles 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 North Carolina Public Records Act.
- The court file: from the District Court, kept by the Clerk of Superior Court.
- The driving record: from the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Wilmington arrest records, Wilmington police reports and Wilmington court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in North Carolina?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Wilmington heard?
In the District Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/new-hanover-county.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Wilmington held?
At the county jail, run by the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in North Carolina?
The Division of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in North Carolina?
7 years.
Is this the official Wilmington website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.