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 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
McLean County, North Dakota, has about 9,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in McLean County starts two cases, a criminal case in the McLean County District Court and a license case before the Department of Transportation, 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: McLean County public records, McLean County arrest records, McLean County warrants, McLean County inmate search, McLean County criminal records, North Dakota arrest records and North Dakota inmate search.
The DUI Law in North Dakota
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in North Dakota, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in North Dakota is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Transportation, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in McLean County
The McLean County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in McLean County.
The McLean County Sheriff's Office reported 252 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for McLean County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in McLean County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the McLean County Sheriff's Office, held about 30 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at mcleancountynd.gov/departments/sheriffs-office, phone (701) 462-8103. The McLean County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The State's Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the McLean County District Court.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mcleancountynd.gov, phone (701) 462-8832.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/mclean-county, phone 701-462-8541.
Statewide, North Dakota Courts Records Inquiry is the North Dakota courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Transportation. The driving record, kept by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the North Dakota Open Records Law.
- The court file: from the McLean County District Court, kept by the Clerk of District Court.
- The driving record: from the North Dakota Department of Transportation.
More on each: McLean County arrest records, McLean County police reports and McLean County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in North Dakota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from McLean County heard?
In the McLean County District Court, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at ndcourts.gov/court-locations/mclean-county.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in McLean County held?
At the county jail, run by the McLean County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in North Dakota?
The Department of Transportation, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official McLean 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.