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 on September 23, 2026.
Tompkins County, New York, has about 106,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Tompkins County 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: Tompkins County public records, Tompkins County arrest records, Tompkins County warrants, Tompkins County inmate search, Tompkins County criminal records, New York arrest records and New York inmate search.
The DWI Law in New York
In New York the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08; 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 Tompkins County
The Tompkins County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Ithaca, Cayuga Heights, Groton, Dryden and Trumansburg make the DWI arrests in Tompkins County.
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 Tompkins 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 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 Tompkins County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Tompkins County 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
A DWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the DMV. The driving record, kept by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
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: Tompkins County arrest records, Tompkins County police reports and Tompkins County 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 Tompkins County 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 Tompkins County 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 Tompkins 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.