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.
Buncombe County, North Carolina, has about 279,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Buncombe County 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: Buncombe County public records, Buncombe County arrest records, Buncombe County warrants, Buncombe County inmate search, Buncombe County 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 Buncombe County
The Buncombe County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Asheville, Black Mountain, Woodfin, Weaverville, Biltmore Forest and Montreat make the DWI arrests in Buncombe County.
The FBI's agency list also places one campus police department, one other agency and two state agencies in Buncombe County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the six agencies in Buncombe County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5,569 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Buncombe County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Buncombe 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 Buncombe County Sheriff's Office, held about 400 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at buncombenc.gov/663/Sheriff. The Buncombe County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Buncombe County is brought by the District Attorney in the District Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at buncombenc.gov/m/directory/department?did=124, phone 828-259-3410.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/buncombe-county.
Statewide, eCourts Portal is the North Carolina 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 the Division of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
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: Buncombe County arrest records, Buncombe County police reports and Buncombe County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in North Carolina?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Buncombe County heard?
In the District Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/buncombe-county.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Buncombe County held?
At the county jail, run by the Buncombe 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 Buncombe 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.