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.
Kaufman County, Texas, has about 198,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Kaufman 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: Kaufman County public records, Kaufman County arrest records, Kaufman County warrants, Kaufman County inmate search, Kaufman 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 Kaufman County
The Kaufman County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Forney, Terrell, Kaufman, Mabank, Crandall, Oak Ridge and one more cities make the DWI arrests in Kaufman County.
The FBI's agency list also places nine other agencies and one campus police department in Kaufman County (the arrest records guide names each one).
Together, the eight agencies in Kaufman County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,953 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Kaufman County does not break DWI out.
The Seagoville Police Department, the Mesquite Police Department, the Heath Police Department and one more are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Kaufman County, so their arrests are not broken out for Kaufman County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Kaufman 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 Kaufman County Sheriff's Office, held about 400 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 kaufmanso.com/jail-info/inmate-records, phone 972-932-4337. The Kaufman 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 kaufmancounty.net/217/District-Attorney, phone (469) 376-4760.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kaufmancounty.net/212/Courts-Public-Safety, phone 469-376-4730.
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: Kaufman County arrest records, Kaufman County police reports and Kaufman County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Texas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Kaufman 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 kaufmancounty.net/212/Courts-Public-Safety.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Kaufman County held?
At the county jail, run by the Kaufman 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 Kaufman 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.