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 28, 2026.
Cape May County, New Jersey, has about 94,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Cape May County 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: Cape May County public records, Cape May County arrest records, Cape May County warrants, Cape May County inmate search, Cape May County criminal records, New Jersey arrest records and New Jersey inmate search.
The DWI Law in New Jersey
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in New Jersey, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Cape May County
The Cape May County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Ocean City, Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Cape May, Sea Isle City and five more cities make the DWI arrests in Cape May County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Cape May County: Prosecutor in Cape May County (other agency); the Cape May County State Police (state police); the Cape May County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 12 agencies in Cape May County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,061 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Cape May County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Cape May 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 Cape May County Sheriff's Office, held about 210 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at capemaycountynj.gov/1680/Sheriffs-Office, phone 609-463-6428. The Cape May County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The case is heard in the Municipal Court, brought by the County Prosecutor or, in a municipal court, by the city's own prosecutor.
The County Prosecutor's page SearchSystems verified is at capemaycountynj.gov, phone 609-465-1135.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at capemaycountynj.gov/189/County-Clerk, phone 609-465-1023.
Statewide, New Jersey Courts Public Access is the Judiciary's free online case search for civil and criminal cases.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Motor Vehicle Commission runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission 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 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: Cape May County arrest records, Cape May County police reports and Cape May County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in New Jersey?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Cape May County heard?
In the Municipal Court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at capemaycountynj.gov/189/County-Clerk.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Cape May County held?
At the county jail, run by the Cape May 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 Cape May 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.