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 26, 2026.
Salamanca, New York, in Cattaraugus County, has about 5,800 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Salamanca 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: Salamanca public records, Cattaraugus County DWI, Salamanca arrest records, Salamanca warrants, Salamanca inmate search, Salamanca 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 Salamanca
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Salamanca (filed by the FBI as Salamanca Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Salamanca.
Together, the seven agencies in Cattaraugus County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,748 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Cattaraugus County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Salamanca
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office, held about 110 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 sheriff.cattco.gov/inmateSearch. The Salamanca inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Salamanca is brought by the District Attorney in the local criminal court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at cattco.gov/district-attorney, phone (716) 938-2220.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at cattco.gov/courts, phone 716-379-6614. That page belongs to a lower court, the city, town and village courts, not to the Cattaraugus County Supreme and County Courts.
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: Salamanca arrest records, Salamanca police reports and Salamanca 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 Salamanca heard?
In the local criminal court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at cattco.gov/courts.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Salamanca held?
At the county jail, run by the Cattaraugus 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 Salamanca 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.