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.
New Rochelle, New York, in Westchester County, has about 86,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in New Rochelle 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: New Rochelle public records, Westchester County DWI, New Rochelle arrest records, New Rochelle warrants, New Rochelle inmate search, New Rochelle 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 New Rochelle
The agency that reports for New Rochelle (filed by the FBI as New Rochelle Police Department) makes the DWI arrests in and around New Rochelle.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Westchester County: the Westchester County, Hillview New York City Department of Environmental Protection Police and the Westchester County, Croton-Kensico New York City Department of Environmental Police (other agency); the Purchase State University of New York Police (campus police).
Together, the 31 agencies in Westchester County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,190 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Westchester County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in New Rochelle
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail held about 550 people on an average day so far in 2026 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at correction.westchestercountyny.gov/westchester-inmate-search. The New Rochelle inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from New Rochelle is brought by the District Attorney in the local criminal court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at newrochelleny.gov.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at westchesterclerkny.gov/legal-division/search-court-records, phone (914)995-3075.
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: New Rochelle arrest records and New Rochelle 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 New Rochelle heard?
In the local criminal court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at westchesterclerkny.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in New Rochelle held?
At the county jail, 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 New Rochelle 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.