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 September 30, 2026.
Clifton, New Jersey, in Passaic County, has about 90,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Clifton starts two cases, a criminal case in the Municipal Court and a license case before the Motor Vehicle Commission, 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: Clifton public records, Passaic County DWI, Clifton arrest records, Clifton warrants, Clifton inmate search, Clifton criminal records, New Jersey arrest records and New Jersey inmate search.
The DWI Law in New Jersey
In New Jersey the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in New Jersey 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 Motor Vehicle Commission, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, New Jersey counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Clifton
The Passaic County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Clifton (filed by the FBI as Clifton Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Clifton.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Passaic County: William Paterson University (campus police); Prosecutor in Passaic County (other agency); the Passaic County State Police (state police); the Passaic County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 17 agencies in Passaic County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 7,540 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Passaic County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Clifton
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Passaic County Sheriff's Office, held about 560 people on an average day in 2020 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at pcsheriff.org/corrections/inmate_search/index.php, phone 973-881-4200. The Clifton inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Clifton is heard in the Municipal Court; the County Prosecutor or, in a municipal court, the city's own prosecutor brings it.
The County Prosecutor's page SearchSystems verified is at njoag.gov, phone 609-292-4791.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at records.passaiccountynj.org/press/Clerk/ClerkHome.aspx?op=basic.
Statewide, New Jersey Courts Public Access is the Judiciary's free online case search for civil and criminal cases.
The License Case
A DWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Motor Vehicle Commission. The driving record, kept by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, carries the result of both.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Open Public Records Act.
- The court file: from the Municipal Court, kept by the Superior Court Clerk and the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
More on each: Clifton arrest records, Clifton police reports and Clifton court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in New Jersey?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Clifton heard?
In the Municipal Court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at records.passaiccountynj.org.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Clifton held?
At the county jail, run by the Passaic County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in New Jersey?
The Motor Vehicle Commission, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in New Jersey?
10 years.
Is this the official Clifton 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.