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 on September 23, 2026.
Salem County, New Jersey, has about 66,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Salem 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: Salem County public records, Salem County arrest records, Salem County warrants, Salem County inmate search, Salem County 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 Salem County
The Salem County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Salem, Penns Grove, Woodstown and Elmer make the DWI arrests in Salem County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Salem County: Prosecutor in Salem County (other agency); the Salem County State Police (state police); the Salem County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the seven agencies in Salem County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 811 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Salem County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Salem 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 Salem County Sheriff's Office, held about 360 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at salemcountysheriff.com/corrections, phone (856) 935-7510. The Salem 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 court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courtrecord.net/salem-county-nj-courts, phone 856-935-7510. That page belongs to a lower court, not to the Superior Court of New Jersey, Salem County.
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: Salem County arrest records, Salem County police reports and Salem 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 Salem County heard?
In the Municipal Court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courtrecord.net/salem-county-nj-courts.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Salem County held?
At the county jail, run by the Salem 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 Salem 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.