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 4, 2026.
Union County, South Dakota, has about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Union County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Circuit Court for Union County and a license case before the Department of Public Safety, 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: Union County public records, Union County arrest records, Union County warrants, Union County inmate search, Union County criminal records, South Dakota arrest records and South Dakota inmate search.
The DUI Law in South Dakota
In South Dakota the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in South Dakota 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 Public Safety, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, South Dakota counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Union County
The Union County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for North Sioux City, Beresford, Elk Point and Jefferson make the DUI arrests in Union County.
Together, the four agencies in Union County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 323 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Union County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Union 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 Union County Sheriff's Office, held about 35 people on an average day in 2019 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at unioncountysd.gov/unioncountysdsheriff/inmates. The Union County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Union County is brought by the State's Attorney in the Circuit Court for Union County.
The State's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at unioncountysd.gov, phone (605) 356-2666.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at dakotaathome.sd.gov/search/a8ac8af5-881e-580b-8fa8-4a6d98d763ac, phone 605-356-2132.
Statewide, UJS Public Access Record Search is the South Dakota courts' statewide search, with a fee per name.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Public Safety. The driving record, kept by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the South Dakota Open Records Law.
- The court file: from the Circuit Court for Union County, kept by the Clerk of Courts.
- The driving record: from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Driver Licensing.
More on each: Union County arrest records, Union County police reports and Union County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in South Dakota?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Union County heard?
In the Circuit Court for Union County, brought by the State's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at dakotaathome.sd.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Union County held?
At the county jail, run by the Union County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in South Dakota?
The Department of Public Safety, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in South Dakota?
10 years.
Is this the official Union 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.