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.
Texas City, Texas, in Galveston County, has about 58,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Texas 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: Texas City public records, Galveston County DWI, Texas City arrest records, Texas City warrants, Texas City inmate search, Texas 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 Texas City
The Galveston County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Texas City (filed by the FBI as Texas City Police Department) make the DWI arrests in and around Texas City.
The FBI's agency list also places 11 other agencies and three campus police departments in Galveston County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the 11 agencies in Galveston County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,900 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Galveston County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Texas 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 Galveston County Sheriff's Office, held about 1,070 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 p2c.galvestoncountytx.gov/jailinmates.aspx. The Texas City inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Texas 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 galvestoncountytx.gov, phone (409) 770-6044.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/county-clerk/records-search, phone (409) 770-6044.
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: Texas City arrest records and Texas City court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Texas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Texas 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 galvestoncountytx.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Texas City held?
At the county jail, run by the Galveston 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 Texas 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.