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 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026.
Los Alamos County, New Mexico, has about 20,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Los Alamos County starts two cases, a criminal case (in the Magistrate Court, or the Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County) and a license case before the Motor Vehicle Division, 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: Los Alamos County public records, Los Alamos County arrest records, Los Alamos County warrants, Los Alamos County criminal records, Los Alamos County court records, New Mexico arrest records and New Mexico inmate search.
The DWI Law in New Mexico
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in New Mexico, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in New Mexico 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 Division, separately from the criminal case.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Los Alamos County
Los Alamos reported 5 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Los Alamos County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Los Alamos County
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail held about 5 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Magistrate Court, or the Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at nmdas.com, phone (505) 827-5000.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov/about-this-district/court-dockets/los-al.... That page belongs to a lower court, the Magistrate Court, not to the District Court for Los Alamos County.
Statewide, New Mexico Courts Case Lookup is the New Mexico Judiciary's free statewide case search.
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 Division. The driving record, kept by the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division, carries the result of both.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Inspection of Public Records Act.
- The court file: from the Magistrate Court, or the Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County, kept by the Clerk of the District Court.
- The driving record: from the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division.
More on each: Los Alamos County arrest records, Los Alamos County police reports and Los Alamos County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in New Mexico?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Los Alamos County heard?
In the Magistrate Court, or the Metropolitan Court in Bernalillo County, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at firstdistrict.nmcourts.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Los Alamos County held?
At the county jail, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in New Mexico?
The Motor Vehicle Division, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
Is this the official Los Alamos 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.