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.
Columbia County, Washington, has about 4,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Columbia County 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: Columbia County public records, Columbia County arrest records, Columbia County warrants, Columbia County inmate search, Columbia County criminal records, Washington arrest records and Washington inmate search.
The DUI Law in Washington
Drunk driving is charged as DUI in Washington, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
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 Columbia County
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office makes the DUI arrests in Columbia County.
The Columbia County Sheriff's Office reported 49 arrests to the FBI for 2025, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Columbia County does not break DUI out.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Columbia 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 Columbia County Sheriff's Office, held about 3 people on an average day in 2021 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at columbiacountyso.policetocitizen.com/Inmates/Catalog. The Columbia County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The case is heard in the District Court or a municipal court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney or, in a municipal court, by the city's own prosecutor.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at columbiaco.com/73/Prosecuting-Attorney, phone (509) 382-1197.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.wa.gov/court_dir/orgs/267.html, phone 509-382-4321.
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: Columbia County arrest records, Columbia County police reports and Columbia County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in Washington?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Columbia County heard?
In the District Court or a municipal court. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courts.wa.gov/court_dir/orgs/267.html.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Columbia County held?
At the county jail, run by the Columbia 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 Columbia 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.