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 2, 2026.
Esmeralda County, Nevada, has 720 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Esmeralda County starts two cases, a criminal case in a Justice or Municipal Court and a license case before the Department of Motor Vehicles, 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: Esmeralda County public records, Esmeralda County arrest records, Esmeralda County warrants, Esmeralda County inmate search, Esmeralda County criminal records, Nevada arrest records and Nevada inmate search.
The DUI Law in Nevada
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Nevada, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Nevada is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Nevada counts prior offenses within 7 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Esmeralda County
The Esmeralda County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Esmeralda County.
The Esmeralda County Sheriff's Office reported 13 arrests to the FBI for 2019, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Esmeralda County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Esmeralda County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Esmeralda County Sheriff's Office, held about 3 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at esmeraldajusticecourt.com/inmateSearch. The Esmeralda County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Esmeralda County is heard in a Justice or Municipal Court; the District Attorney or, in a municipal court, the city's own prosecutor brings it.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at accessesmeralda.com, phone (775) 485-6352.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at nvcourts.gov/find_a_court/district_courts/esmeralda_county_clerk_s_..., phone (775) 485-6309.
Nevada has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Nevada Public Records Act.
- The court file: from a Justice or Municipal Court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Esmeralda County arrest records, Esmeralda County police reports and Esmeralda County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Nevada?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Esmeralda County heard?
In a Justice or Municipal Court.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Esmeralda County held?
At the county jail, run by the Esmeralda County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Nevada?
The Department of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Nevada?
7 years.
Is this the official Esmeralda 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.