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 30, 2026.
Mathews County, Virginia, has about 8,600 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Mathews County starts two cases, a criminal case in the General District Court and a license case before the Department of Motor Vehicles, 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: Mathews County public records, Mathews County arrest records, Mathews County warrants, Mathews County inmate search, Mathews County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Virginia
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Virginia, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Virginia is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect DUI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Department of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Virginia counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Mathews County
The Mathews County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Mathews County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Mathews County: the Mathews County State Police (state police); the Mathews County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
The Mathews County Sheriff's Office reported 112 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Mathews County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Mathews County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Mathews County Sheriff's Office, held about 37 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at mathewscountyva.gov/232/Sheriff, phone 804-725-7177. The Mathews County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Mathews County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at mathewscountyva.gov/230/Commonwealth-Attorney, phone 804-725-9212.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mathewscountyva.gov/222/Clerk-of-Circuit-Court, phone (804) 725-2550.
Statewide, Online Case Information System is the Virginia courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the General District Court, kept by the Circuit Court Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Mathews County arrest records, Mathews County police reports and Mathews County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Mathews County heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at mathewscountyva.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Mathews County held?
At the county jail, run by the Mathews County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Virginia?
The Department of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Virginia?
10 years.
Is this the official Mathews 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.