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.
Carteret County, North Carolina, has about 70,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Carteret 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: Carteret County public records, Carteret County arrest records, Carteret County warrants, Carteret County inmate search, Carteret County criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
The DWI Law in North Carolina
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in North Carolina, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Carteret County
The Carteret County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Morehead City, Beaufort, Newport, Emerald Isle, Cape Carteret, Pine Knoll Shores and two more cities make the DWI arrests in Carteret County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Carteret County: the Division of Marine Fisheries and the State Park Rangers at Fort Macon (state agency); the North Carolina State Port Authority's Division 2 (other agency).
Together, the nine agencies in Carteret County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,068 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Carteret County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Carteret 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 Carteret County Sheriff's Office, held about 130 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at carteretcountync.gov/874/Inmate-Search, phone 252-504-4832. The Carteret County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the District Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/carteret-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: Carteret County arrest records, Carteret County police reports and Carteret 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 Carteret 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/carteret-county.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Carteret County held?
At the county jail, run by the Carteret 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 Carteret 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.