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 October 1, 2026.
Panola County, Texas, has about 23,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DWI arrest in Panola 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: Panola County public records, Panola County arrest records, Panola County warrants, Panola County inmate search, Panola County criminal records, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
The DWI Law in Texas
In Texas the offense is DWI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Panola County
The Panola County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Carthage make the DWI arrests in Panola County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Panola County: Panola College (campus police); Panola County Constable at Precinct 2 & 3 and Panola County Constable at Precinct 1 & 4 (other agency).
Together, the two agencies in Panola County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 300 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Panola County does not break DWI out.
The Tatum Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Panola County, so its arrests are not broken out for Panola County here.
Booking After a DWI Arrest in Panola 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 Panola County Sheriff's Office, held about 74 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 co.panola.tx.us/1204/Sheriffs-Office, phone 903-693-0333. The Panola County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DWI charge from Panola County 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 co.panola.tx.us/1205/District-Attorney, phone 903-693-0310.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.panola.tx.us/page/panola.District.Clerk, phone 903-693-0306.
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: Panola County arrest records, Panola County police reports and Panola County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DWI limit in Texas?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DWI case from Panola 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 co.panola.tx.us/page/panola.District.Clerk.
Where is a person arrested for DWI in Panola County held?
At the county jail, run by the Panola 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 Panola 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.