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 September 25, 2026.
Ithaca, New York, in Tompkins County, has about 34,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Ithaca starts two cases, a criminal case in the local criminal court and a license case before the DMV, 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: Ithaca public records, Tompkins County DWI, Ithaca arrest records, Ithaca warrants, Ithaca inmate search, Ithaca criminal records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
The DWI Law in New York
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in New York, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more; driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is charged from 0.05.
Driving in New York 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 DMV, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, New York counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Ithaca
The Tompkins County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Ithaca (filed by the FBI as Ithaca Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Ithaca.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Tompkins County: Ithaca College and Cornell University (campus police).
Together, the five agencies in Tompkins County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,415 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Tompkins County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Ithaca
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office, held about 54 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at tompkinscountyny.gov/All-Departments/Sheriffs-Office/Corrections-Di.... The Ithaca inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Ithaca is brought by the District Attorney in the local criminal court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at tompkinscountyny.gov, phone (607) 274-5461.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at tompkinscountyny.gov/All-Departments/County-Clerk/Civil-Services.
Statewide, eCourts is the Unified Court System's free online case search (WebCivil, WebCrims and WebFamily).
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The DMV runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles 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 Freedom of Information Law.
- The court file: from the local criminal court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Ithaca arrest records and Ithaca court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in New York?
0.08 percent blood alcohol; driving while ability impaired (DWAI) is charged from 0.05.
Where is a DWI case from Ithaca heard?
In the local criminal court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at tompkinscountyny.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Ithaca held?
At the county jail, run by the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in New York?
The DMV, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in New York?
10 years.
Is this the official Ithaca website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.