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 9, 2026.
Orange County, North Carolina, has about 153,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Orange 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: Orange County public records, Orange County arrest records, Orange County warrants, Orange County inmate search, Orange 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 Orange County
The Orange County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough make the DWI arrests in Orange County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Orange County: the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (campus police); North Carolina Memorial Hospital (other agency).
Together, the four agencies in Orange County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,731 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Orange County does not break DWI out.
The Mebane Police Department and the Durham Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Orange County, so their arrests are not broken out for Orange County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Orange 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 Orange County Sheriff's Office, held about 92 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at ocsonc.com, phone (919) 245-2900. The Orange County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Orange County is brought by the District Attorney in the District Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nccourts.gov/locations/orange-county, phone 919-644-4570.
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: Orange County arrest records, Orange County police reports and Orange 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 Orange 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/orange-county.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Orange County held?
At the county jail, run by the Orange 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 Orange 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.