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 2, 2026.
Fife, Washington, in Pierce County, has about 11,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Fife starts two cases, a criminal case in the District Court or a municipal court and a license case before the Department of Licensing, 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: Fife public records, Pierce County DUI, Fife arrest records, Fife warrants, Fife inmate search, Fife criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
The DUI Law in Washington
In Washington the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in Washington 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 Licensing, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, Washington counts prior offenses within 7 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Fife
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Fife (filed by the FBI as Fife Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Fife.
Together, the 18 agencies in Pierce County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 15,004 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Pierce County does not break DUI out.
The Auburn Police Department and the Pacific Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Pierce County, so their arrests are not broken out for Pierce County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Fife
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, held about 770 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at linxonline.co.pierce.wa.us/linxweb/Booking/GetJailRoster.cfm. The Fife inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Fife is heard in the District Court or a municipal court; the Prosecuting Attorney or, in a municipal court, the city's own prosecutor brings it.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at piercecountywa.gov/118/Prosecuting-Attorney.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at piercecountywa.gov/789/LINX-Online-Case-Information.
Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
A DUI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Department of Licensing. The driving record, kept by the Washington State Department of Licensing, carries the result of both.
The Records a DUI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Public Records Act (RCW 42.56).
- The court file: from the District Court or a municipal court, kept by the County Clerk.
- The driving record: from the Washington State Department of Licensing.
More on each: Fife arrest records, Fife police reports and Fife court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Washington?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Fife heard?
In the District Court or a municipal court.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Fife held?
At the county jail, run by the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in Washington?
The Department of Licensing, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in Washington?
7 years.
Is this the official Fife website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.