Armstrong County DWI Records

Armstrong County DUI and DWI records are kept by the combined County and District Clerk office in Claude, Texas. Armstrong County is a small rural Panhandle county with about 1,800 residents. The county is part of the 108th Judicial District. Records go back to 1890. Because this is a combined clerk office, one elected official handles both misdemeanor and felony DWI records. Access is primarily in person or by mail, as online services are limited in this rural county.

Armstrong County Clerk

The Armstrong County Clerk and District Clerk is Trixie V. Weatherton. The combined office is at P.O. Box 309, Claude, TX 79019. The phone number is (806) 226-2081. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This office handles records for both the county court (misdemeanor DWI) and the district court (felony DWI). Copy fees are $1.00 per page.

The Armstrong County website provides contact information and general county government details. As a small rural county, online services are limited. Most records requests require a visit to the office or a written mail request. The 108th Judicial District Court convenes in Claude and handles felony criminal cases. The district court meets monthly and holds quarterly grand jury sessions. Appeals from the 108th District go to the 7th Court of Appeals in Amarillo.

Armstrong County Sheriff and Arrest Records

The Armstrong County Sheriff can be reached at (806) 226-2086. The sheriff's office handles all law enforcement for the county, including jail operations, warrant service, civil process, and 911 dispatch. Records are available in person during business hours. Online presence is limited for this small Panhandle county. Written requests are the standard way to get copies of incident reports or arrest records.

For broader criminal history searches, the Texas DPS Crime Records Division maintains a statewide criminal history database. DWI arrests and convictions from Armstrong County are reported to this system and forwarded to the FBI. You can request a personal criminal history from DPS or submit a formal request for authorized background check purposes.

Crash reports involving DWI incidents in Armstrong County go to the Texas Department of Transportation. As of September 1, 2017, driver crash reports (Form CR-2) are no longer retained by TxDOT. Peace officer reports (CR-3) are available for purchase online at $6.00 standard or $8.00 certified.

DWI Laws and Penalties

Texas law defines DWI under Penal Code Chapter 49. The offense is committed when someone operates a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated. Intoxication means either not having normal mental or physical faculties due to alcohol or drugs, or a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher. Both definitions can lead to prosecution.

First offense DWI is a Class B misdemeanor. The range is 72 hours to 180 days in jail, plus a fine up to $2,000. If the driver had an open container, the mandatory minimum goes up to six days. If the BAC was 0.15 or higher, the charge becomes a Class A misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Second offense DWI is also a Class A misdemeanor with a 30-day minimum. Texas also adds state surcharges of $3,000, $4,500, or $6,000 on top of fines.

Third offense DWI is a third degree felony (2 to 10 years in prison). DWI with a child passenger is a state jail felony. Intoxication assault is a third degree felony. Intoxication manslaughter is a second degree felony with 2 to 20 years. The TxDOT impaired driving page has a plain-language summary of all penalties.

Minors with any detectable alcohol face a DUI charge under Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 106.041. First offense is a Class C misdemeanor. It includes a fine up to $500, 8 to 12 hours of community service, and mandatory completion of an alcohol awareness program.

License Suspension and ALR

A DWI arrest in Armstrong County triggers the ALR process through Texas DPS. The officer takes your physical license and gives you a Notice of Suspension that serves as a 40-day temporary permit. You have 15 days from arrest to request an ALR hearing. If you skip the hearing, suspension starts automatically on day 40.

Refusing a breath or blood test results in a 180-day suspension for a first offense. Two years if there was a prior refusal within 10 years. A failed test (BAC 0.08 or higher) means a 90-day suspension for first offense, 1 year with a prior. You must pay a $125 reinstatement fee before Texas DPS will restore your license. The full ALR rules are in Transportation Code Chapter 524. The ALR case and the criminal DWI case are separate. A dismissed criminal case does not automatically end the ALR suspension.

Armstrong County Records

The Armstrong County Clerk website provides contact details and access information for the combined County and District Clerk office in Claude.

The combined clerk office handles all public records requests for DWI cases in Armstrong County, including both misdemeanor and felony case filings.

TABC and Alcohol Regulation

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) enforces alcohol laws throughout Texas including Armstrong County. TABC conducts compliance checks on licensed establishments and investigates violations including sales to minors or to visibly intoxicated persons. This affects dram shop liability cases that may arise from DWI accidents where a bar over-served a patron who then drove and caused an accident.

TABC also approves seller training programs that can be used as a defense for employers. The commission provides educational resources on alcohol laws and partners with local law enforcement on operations targeting underage drinking and drunk driving. Contact TABC at their Amarillo regional office for issues specific to the Panhandle region.

Nearby Counties

These Panhandle counties are near Armstrong County in Texas.