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.
Kelso, Washington, in Cowlitz County, has about 13,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Kelso 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: Kelso public records, Cowlitz County DUI, Kelso arrest records, Kelso warrants, Kelso inmate search, Kelso 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 Kelso
The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Kelso (filed by the FBI as Kelso Police Department) make the DUI arrests in and around Kelso.
Together, the six agencies in Cowlitz County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 4,358 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Cowlitz County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Kelso
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, held about 210 people on an average day in 2023 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at apps.co.cowlitz.wa.us/CCCD/custody/default/index.html. The Kelso inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
A DUI charge from Kelso 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 co.cowlitz.wa.us/230/Prosecuting-Attorney, phone 360-577-3080.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.cowlitz.wa.us/2638/Court-Records, phone 360-577-3020.
Statewide, Washington Courts Search Case Records is the Administrative Office of the Courts' free statewide case search.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Department of Licensing runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Washington State Department of Licensing 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 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: Kelso arrest records and Kelso court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Washington?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Kelso heard?
In the District Court or a municipal court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at co.cowlitz.wa.us/2638/Court-Records.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Kelso held?
At the county jail, run by the Cowlitz 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 Kelso 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.