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.
Bay City, Texas, in Matagorda County, has about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Bay City starts two cases, a criminal case (in the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony) 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: Bay City public records, Matagorda County DWI, Bay City arrest records, Bay City warrants, Bay City inmate search, Bay City criminal records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
The DWI Law in Texas
Drunk driving is charged as DWI in Texas, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Texas 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 Department of Public Safety, separately from the criminal case.
Texas sets no time limit on prior offenses: every earlier conviction counts toward a repeat charge.
Who Makes DWI Arrests in Bay City
The Matagorda County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Bay City (filed by the FBI as Bay City Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Bay City.
The FBI's agency list also places seven other agencies in Matagorda County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the three agencies in Matagorda County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 780 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Matagorda County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Bay City
A driver arrested for DWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office, held about 120 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 matagordatx.gov/page/Sheriff, phone 979-245-5526. The Bay City inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Bay City is brought by the District Attorney in the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at matagordatx.gov/page/District.Attorney, phone (979) 244-7657.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at matagordatx.gov/page/County.Clerk, phone (979) 244-7680.
Texas has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
A DWI 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 Texas Department of Public Safety, carries the result of both.
The Records a DWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Texas Public Information Act.
- The court file: from the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony, kept by the District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases.
- The driving record: from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
More on each: Bay City arrest records and Bay City court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Texas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Bay City heard?
In the County Court at Law, or the District Court when it is charged as a felony, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at matagordatx.gov/page/County.Clerk.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Bay City held?
At the county jail, run by the Matagorda County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DWI arrest in Texas?
The Department of Public Safety, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DWI count as a prior in Texas?
There is no time limit; every prior conviction counts.
Is this the official Bay City 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.