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 October 2, 2026.
Somerset County, New Jersey, has about 357,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Somerset 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: Somerset County public records, Somerset County arrest records, Somerset County warrants, Somerset County inmate search, Somerset 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 Somerset County
The Somerset County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for North Plainfield, Somerville, Bound Brook, Manville, Raritan, Bernardsville and four more cities make the DWI arrests in Somerset County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Somerset County: the Somerset County State Police (state police); Prosecutor in Somerset County (other agency); the Somerset County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the 18 agencies in Somerset County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,566 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Somerset County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Somerset 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 Somerset County Sheriff's Office, held about 120 people on an average day in 2020 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at somersetcountysheriff.com. The Somerset County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Somerset County 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 somersetcountynj.gov, phone (908) 575-3300.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at liveacclaim.co.somerset.nj.us/AcclaimWeb.
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: Somerset County arrest records, Somerset County police reports and Somerset 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 Somerset County heard?
In the Municipal Court.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Somerset County held?
At the county jail, run by the Somerset 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 Somerset 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.