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 September 30, 2026.
Santa Fe County, New Mexico, has about 158,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Santa Fe 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: Santa Fe County public records, Santa Fe County arrest records, Santa Fe County warrants, Santa Fe County criminal records, Santa Fe County court 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 Santa Fe County
The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Santa Fe and Edgewood make the DWI arrests in Santa Fe County.
Together, the two agencies in Santa Fe County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 795 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Santa Fe County does not break DWI out.
The Espanola Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Santa Fe County, so its arrests are not broken out for Santa Fe County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office, held about 260 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Santa Fe County is brought by the District Attorney 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 santafecountynm.gov/clerk/divisions/public-records-access, phone (505) 986-6280.
Statewide, New Mexico Courts Case Lookup is the New Mexico Judiciary's free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Motor Vehicle Division runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division 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 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: Santa Fe County arrest records, Santa Fe County police reports and Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe 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 santafecountynm.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Santa Fe County held?
At the county jail, run by the Santa Fe 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 Santa Fe 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.