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 24, 2026.
McKinley County, New Mexico, has about 69,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in McKinley 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: McKinley County public records, McKinley County arrest records, McKinley County warrants, McKinley County inmate search, McKinley County criminal records, New Mexico arrest records and New Mexico inmate search.
The DWI Law in New Mexico
In New Mexico the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 McKinley County
The McKinley County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Gallup make the DWI arrests in McKinley County.
Together, the two agencies in McKinley County with all twelve months of 2024 on file reported 1,776 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for McKinley County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in McKinley 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 McKinley County Sheriff's Office, held about 130 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at co.mckinley.nm.us/165/Sheriffs-Office, phone 505-863-1410. The McKinley County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
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 gallupnm.gov/146/City-Attorney, phone (505) 863-1400.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.mckinley.nm.us/190/County-Clerk, phone 505-863-6866.
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: McKinley County arrest records, McKinley County police reports and McKinley 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 McKinley 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 co.mckinley.nm.us/190/County-Clerk.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in McKinley County held?
At the county jail, run by the McKinley County Sheriff's Office, 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 McKinley 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.