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 24, 2026 and September 30, 2026.
Northumberland County, Virginia, has about 12,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Northumberland 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: Northumberland County public records, Northumberland County arrest records, Northumberland County warrants, Northumberland County inmate search, Northumberland County criminal records, Virginia arrest records and Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in Virginia
In Virginia the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Northumberland County
The Northumberland County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Northumberland County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Northumberland County: the Northumberland County State Police (state police); the Northumberland County State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
The Northumberland County Sheriff's Office reported 105 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Northumberland County does not break DUI out.
The Kilmarnock Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Northumberland County, so its arrests are not broken out for Northumberland County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Northumberland 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 Northumberland County Sheriff's Office, held about 120 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at northumberlandsheriff.net, phone (804) 580-5221. The Northumberland County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Northumberland County is brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney in the General District Court.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.northumberland.va.us/1303/Court-Information.
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: Northumberland County arrest records, Northumberland County police reports and Northumberland County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Northumberland County heard?
In the General District Court, brought by the Commonwealth's Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.northumberland.va.us.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Northumberland County held?
At the county jail, run by the Northumberland 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 Northumberland 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.