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 26, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Lincoln, Nebraska, in Lancaster County, has about 301,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Lincoln starts two cases, a criminal case in the County Court and a license case before the Department 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: Lincoln public records, Lancaster County DUI, Lincoln arrest records, Lincoln warrants, Lincoln inmate search, Lincoln criminal records, Nebraska arrest records and Nebraska inmate search.
The DUI Law in Nebraska
In Nebraska the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Nebraska 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 Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Lincoln
The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Lincoln (filed by the FBI as Lincoln Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Lincoln.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Lancaster County: the Nebraska State Fire Marshal (state agency); the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (campus police); the State Patrol in Lancaster County (state police); the State Patrol in Lancaster County makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the two agencies in Lancaster County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 12,899 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Lancaster County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Lincoln
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, held about 710 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at lancaster.ne.gov/1380/Sheriffs-Office, phone (402) 441-6500. The Lincoln inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Lincoln is brought by the County Attorney in the County Court.
The County Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at lancaster.ne.gov/179/County-Attorney, phone 402-441-7321.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at lancaster.ne.gov/926/Courts, phone 402.441.7328.
Statewide, Nebraska Trial Court Case Search is the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case search, with a fee per 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 Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Nebraska Public Records Statutes.
- The court file: from the County Court, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Lincoln arrest records, Lincoln police reports and Lincoln court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Nebraska?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Lincoln heard?
In the County Court, brought by the County Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at lancaster.ne.gov/926/Courts.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Lincoln held?
At the county jail, run by the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Nebraska?
The Department of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Lincoln 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.