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. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 24, 2026.
Putnam County, West Virginia, has about 57,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A DUI arrest in Putnam County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Magistrate Court and a license case before the Division 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: Putnam County public records, Putnam County arrest records, Putnam County warrants, Putnam County inmate search, Putnam County criminal records, West Virginia arrest records and West Virginia inmate search.
The DUI Law in West Virginia
In West Virginia the offense is DUI, and the limit is 0.08.
Driving in West 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 Division of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
For charging and sentencing, West Virginia counts prior offenses within 10 years.
Who Makes DUI Arrests in Putnam County
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Hurricane, Winfield, Eleanor and Poca make the DUI arrests in Putnam County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Putnam County: the Department of Natural Resources in Putnam County and the State Fire Marshal in Putnam County (state agency); the Winfield State Police (state police); the Winfield State Police makes the arrests on the state highways.
Together, the three agencies in Putnam County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,661 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Putnam County does not break DUI out.
The Nitro Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Putnam County, so its arrests are not broken out for Putnam County here.
Booking After a DUI Arrest in Putnam County
A driver arrested for DUI and kept in custody goes to the regional jail that serves Putnam County, run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the state's inmate search is at dcr.wv.gov/offendersearch/Pages/default.aspx.
The Court Case
The Prosecuting Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Magistrate Court.
The Prosecuting Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at putnamcountywv.gov/prosecutor/about-us.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courtswv.gov/public-resources/court-information-county/putnam_county, phone 304-586-0262.
West Virginia has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Division of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the West Virginia Division 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 West Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
- The court file: from the Magistrate Court, kept by the Circuit Clerk.
- The driving record: from the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Putnam County arrest records, Putnam County police reports and Putnam County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the DUI limit in West Virginia?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is a DUI case from Putnam County heard?
In the Magistrate Court, brought by the Prosecuting Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at courtswv.gov.
Where is a person arrested for DUI in Putnam County held?
In the regional jail that serves Putnam County, run by the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Who handles the license after a DUI arrest in West Virginia?
The Division of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does a DUI count as a prior in West Virginia?
10 years.
Is this the official Putnam 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.