Falls County DWI Records

Falls County DUI and DWI records are kept by the District Clerk and County Clerk in Marlin. The county processes DWI cases through the 19th District Court for felony offenses and through the County Court at Law for misdemeanor charges. You can visit the courthouse in Marlin to search case files, or contact the clerk's office to ask about what records are on file for a specific case.

Falls County District Clerk

The Falls County District Clerk handles all felony DWI records in the county. This includes DWI third offense or higher, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter cases. These are the more serious charges that go to the 19th District Court in Marlin. Felony DWI cases come with more significant penalties, and the records tend to contain more detail than misdemeanor files.

The District Clerk's office is located at 125 Bridge Street in Marlin. Document copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies carry an extra fee on top of that. E-filing is available through eFileTexas.gov for attorneys. If you need records in person, the office is open Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Bring the full name of the defendant and an approximate case date to speed up your search.

Falls County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

The Falls County Clerk maintains misdemeanor DWI records for first and second offense cases. Under Texas Penal Code Section 49.04, a first DWI offense is a Class B misdemeanor. A second DWI conviction is a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum 30-day jail sentence. The County Clerk's office is also at 125 Bridge Street in Marlin and shares the courthouse building with the District Clerk.

Records from the County Clerk include charge information, bond details, plea information, and the final outcome of the case. Misdemeanor DWI convictions are permanent public records. If the case was dismissed or resulted in deferred adjudication, the file still exists but the disposition will reflect that outcome. Call ahead to confirm hours and what you'll need before making the trip out to Marlin.

The Texas Office of Court Administration maintains statewide court statistics and can help you identify which court handled a specific case if you're unsure of jurisdiction.

How to Find Falls County DWI Records

Falls County does not have a fully online case search portal like larger Texas counties. Most record requests are handled in person or by mail. When you contact the clerk's office, have the defendant's full name and a general date range ready. Case numbers speed up the process considerably if you have one. The clerk staff can tell you whether a record exists and what it contains before you pay for copies.

For statewide criminal history checks, Texas DPS Crime Records maintains a centralized database you can search. This is useful when you're not sure which county a case was filed in. DPS records show convictions and deferred adjudications reported by courts across Texas. They don't show dismissed cases or arrests that didn't result in a charge.

Crash reports tied to DWI incidents in Falls County are maintained by TxDOT's crash records system. These peace officer crash reports (CR-3) document the circumstances of any accident. They're separate from the court records and are requested through the CRIS online system. The fee is $6 for a standard copy.

Texas DWI Law and Falls County

Falls County prosecutes DWI under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. The standard first offense is a Class B misdemeanor with a minimum 72-hour jail term and fines up to $2,000. A BAC of 0.15 or higher at the time of arrest bumps it to a Class A misdemeanor under the same statute. A third DWI conviction becomes a third-degree felony, which means state prison time is possible.

DWI with a child passenger under 15 years old is charged under Section 49.045. This is a state jail felony regardless of prior record. Intoxication assault under Section 49.07 applies when someone is seriously injured in a DWI crash. Intoxication manslaughter under Section 49.08 is a second-degree felony when a person dies. Both of these felony-level offenses are handled by the 19th District Court in Falls County.

Records from Falls County DWI cases often include bond conditions set by the court. For repeat offenders, those conditions frequently include an ignition interlock requirement. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at tabc.texas.gov handles alcohol-related licensing and enforcement that sometimes intersects with DWI cases.

Note: Deferred adjudication is not available for DWI in Texas. This is different from many other offenses. A DWI plea must result in a conviction or a dismissal.

License Suspension After a DWI Arrest

When someone is arrested for DWI in Falls County, the officer takes their physical license and gives a 40-day temporary permit. The driver has 15 days to request an ALR hearing through Texas DPS. If no hearing is requested, the suspension takes effect automatically after the 40-day permit runs out.

The ALR suspension process runs separately from the criminal case. Winning the criminal case does not stop the ALR suspension. Refusing the chemical test triggers a 180-day suspension on the first offense. Failing the test at 0.08 or above means a 90-day suspension. Prior ALR suspensions within 10 years can double those periods. The full ALR rules are found in Transportation Code Chapter 524.

Once the suspension period ends, a $125 reinstatement fee is required before DPS will issue a new license. Driving records can be ordered through dps.texas.gov. Fees range from $4 to $22 depending on the record type. A Type 3A certified complete history is $10 online and is the one most used for legal matters.

Texas DPS Public Records

The Texas DPS Public Information Request portal handles requests for state-level records including DWI-related reports and background information.

State-level records from DPS can supplement what you find through the Falls County courts, especially for prior convictions or license suspension history.

Nearby Counties

Falls County borders McLennan, Limestone, Robertson, and Bell counties. DWI cases from those areas are handled by their own courts.