Reviewed and updated October 11, 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 October 11, 2026.
Austin County, Texas, has about 33,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Austin County 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: Austin County public records, Austin County arrest records, Austin County warrants, Austin County inmate search, Austin County 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 Austin County
The Austin County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Sealy, Bellville, Wallis and San Felipe make the DWI arrests in Austin County.
The FBI's agency list also places five other agencies in Austin County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the five agencies in Austin County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 399 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Austin County does not break DWI out.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Austin 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 Austin County Sheriff's Office, held about 62 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 austincounty.com/page/austin.sheriff, phone 979-865-3112. The Austin County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard 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 austincounty.com, phone 979-865-5933.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at austincounty.com/page/austin.county.court, phone 979-227-3131.
Texas has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Public Safety runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Texas Department of Public Safety 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 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: Austin County arrest records, Austin County police reports and Austin County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Texas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Austin County 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 austincounty.com/page/austin.county.court.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Austin County held?
At the county jail, run by the Austin 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 Austin 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.