Hockley County DUI and DWI Records

Hockley County DUI and DWI records are held by the District Clerk and County Clerk in Levelland, the county seat located in the South Plains region west of Lubbock. If you need to find a DWI case record, check an arrest, or look up the outcome of a drunk driving charge in Hockley County, this page covers the key offices, fees, and state resources you will need.

Hockley County District Clerk

The Hockley County District Clerk handles all felony DWI records for the county. The 286th District Court serves Hockley County and processes felony-level charges including third or subsequent DWI, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter as defined under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. The clerk's office is at the Hockley County Courthouse in Levelland. Online record access is limited for this county.

To request a felony DWI case record, visit or mail a request to the courthouse. Document copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies add a $5.00 certification fee per document. You will need the defendant's full legal name and date of birth, or a case number. Felony criminal records are kept permanently under state retention rules. Attorneys file cases through the state e-filing portal at txcourts.gov.

Hockley County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

Misdemeanor DWI records in Hockley County are maintained by the County Clerk. Under Penal Code Section 49.04, a first DWI with a BAC under 0.15 is a Class B misdemeanor. First offense at 0.15 or above, or a second DWI, is a Class A misdemeanor under Section 49.09. The Class A carries a mandatory minimum of 30 days in jail. All misdemeanor DWI cases in Hockley County are filed with the County Clerk and handled at the county court level.

The county clerk's office is at the same courthouse as the District Clerk. Records include the charge, pleas, court dates, and case disposition. Bond conditions, community supervision terms, and fine amounts are also part of the file. Services are primarily in person. The same copy fees apply as at the district court: $1.00 per page and $5.00 for certified copies.

The Texas DPS Crime Records Service holds statewide conviction data that supplements local Hockley County records for DWI history searches.

Texas DWI Law and Hockley County Cases

Hockley County DWI cases are prosecuted under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. The standard definition of intoxication is a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 or above, or lacking normal mental or physical faculties due to alcohol or a controlled substance. The laws are the same for every Texas county, but Hockley County's court structure and local procedures shape how quickly cases are processed and what records you can access.

The charge level drives the classification. First offense below 0.15 is Class B. First offense at or above 0.15, or a second DWI, is Class A. Third and later offenses are third-degree felonies. DWI with a child under 15 in the car is a state jail felony under Section 49.045. Serious injury or death charges are felonies handled by the district court. Records show the charge type, hearing history, and final outcome including any sentence or probation order.

If a DWI arrest in Hockley County involved a crash, the peace officer crash report (CR-3) is available from Texas Department of Transportation. Standard copies are $6 and certified copies are $8. Order through the TxDOT CRIS Request system online.

Note: Under Section 49.09(h), prior DWI convictions from other states can be used to enhance a Texas DWI charge if the out-of-state offense would have been a DWI under Texas law at the time of the conviction.

License Suspension After DWI Arrest in Hockley County

Every DWI arrest in Hockley County triggers the Texas Administrative License Revocation process through Texas DPS. The arresting officer takes the physical license at the time of the stop and issues a 40-day temporary permit. The driver must request an ALR hearing within 15 days or the suspension kicks in automatically when the temporary permit expires. The hearing is held before the State Office of Administrative Hearings as a civil administrative proceeding, separate from any criminal court case.

First-offense test failure under Transportation Code Chapter 524 leads to a 90-day suspension. First-offense refusal leads to 180 days. Both periods double when a prior ALR suspension occurred in the past 10 years. Winning the criminal case does not cancel an ALR suspension. After the suspension period ends, the driver pays a $125 reinstatement fee to DPS before a new license is issued. Driver records are available from dps.texas.gov for $4 to $22 depending on the record type.

Additional State Resources

Texas DPS accepts public information requests for records it maintains through its public information portal. This can include driver-related data, certain conviction records, and other DPS-maintained files. The Texas Public Information Act generally requires a response within 10 business days.

For alcohol law enforcement involving minors, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at tabc.texas.gov handles violations under Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 106. Minor in Possession and Minor in Consumption charges may appear alongside DWI records in county court when young drivers are involved. The TxDOT impaired driving page also provides safety data and enforcement statistics for the South Plains region that includes Hockley County.

Nearby Counties

Hockley County is in the South Plains west of Lubbock. DWI cases in neighboring counties are processed through their own courts.