Search Medina County DUI Records

Medina County DUI and DWI records are kept by the District Clerk and County Clerk in Hondo, about 40 miles west of San Antonio. You can look up DWI case records from the Medina County courthouse on State Highway 90, whether you need a felony case from the district court or a first offense misdemeanor from the county court level.

Medina County District Clerk

The Medina County District Clerk is responsible for all felony DWI records in the county. The 38th District Court serves Medina County and handles all felony-level criminal cases including DWI 3rd or subsequent offenses, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter. The courthouse is located in Hondo at 1100 16th Street.

Under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49, a third DWI conviction is a third-degree felony with 2 to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000. Intoxication manslaughter is a second-degree felony. District court DWI records include the indictment, charge level, BAC if tested, bond information, plea, and sentencing. Copy fees are $1.00 per page. Certified copies add $5.00 per document. E-filing through eFileTexas.gov is used for attorney submissions. All felony DWI records are retained permanently under Texas law.

Medina County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

The Medina County Clerk holds misdemeanor DWI case records from the County Court at Law. First and second offense DWI are Class B and Class A misdemeanors under Penal Code Sections 49.04 and 49.09. A Class B first offense means at least 72 hours in jail. A second offense carries a 30-day minimum. Misdemeanor DWI records show the arrest details, BAC level, charge, plea entered, and the sentence imposed. Misdemeanor DWI convictions are kept permanently even though the cases are lower level.

The county clerk's office is at the same Hondo courthouse as the district clerk. Online access for Medina County is limited, so most record requests need to go through in-person or mailed written requests. If sending a request by mail, include the defendant's full name, approximate case year, and case number if you have it. Copy fees are standard: $1.00 per page for plain copies and $5.00 extra for certified copies per document.

You can also get a statewide driving record from dps.texas.gov. These records show all DWI convictions linked to a Texas driver license number. Types range from $4 to $22 depending on what you need.

Medina County Sheriff's Office Records

The Medina County Sheriff's Office handles DWI arrests in unincorporated areas of the county. This includes rural stretches of US-90 and other highways running through Medina County. Sheriff's DWI arrest reports contain the deputy's narrative, probable cause affidavit, field sobriety test notes, chemical test results, and booking information. The sheriff's office records are separate from the court files maintained by the clerks.

To get a copy of a Medina County Sheriff's report, you can contact the sheriff's office directly in Hondo. Standard report copies are $5.00 each. Certified copies add $5.00. Written requests by mail are accepted. You can also use the Texas Public Information Act process to request records from state agencies. DPS handles public information requests by email at publicrecords@dps.texas.gov. Standard processing is about 10 business days.

Note: The Hondo Police Department handles DWI arrests within city limits. Their records are kept separately from the county sheriff's office.

Texas DWI Law and Medina County Cases

Medina County DWI cases are charged under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. Section 49.04 sets the base offense as a Class B misdemeanor for a first DWI. A BAC of 0.15 or above brings it up to Class A. Second offense is a Class A misdemeanor with a 30-day minimum jail term. Third or more is a third-degree felony. DWI with a passenger under 15 years old under Section 49.045 is a state jail felony with up to 2 years and a $10,000 fine.

If a DWI crash happened on Medina County roads, the peace officer's crash report can be purchased through TxDOT's CRIS system. Regular copies are $6.00. Certified copies cost $8.00. TxDOT keeps crash records for 10 years under Transportation Code rules. All CRIS requests must now be made online since TxDOT ended mailed subpoena processing in January 2025.

For minor DUI cases, Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 106.041 applies. Any driver under 21 with any detectable alcohol faces a Class C misdemeanor charge. This is handled at the municipal court or justice of the peace level, not district or county court.

The state DPS portal shown below covers the statewide systems used to access DWI records and driving history that apply to all Texas counties including Medina County.

The Texas DPS Crime Records Division acts as the state control terminal for criminal justice data, collecting DWI conviction information from counties including Medina County.

License Suspension After a Medina County DWI Arrest

The Texas DPS Administrative License Revocation program kicks off immediately after any DWI arrest in Medina County. The arresting officer takes the license and gives a 40-day temporary driving permit. The driver has 15 days from the arrest date to request an ALR hearing. Miss the deadline and the suspension becomes final with no hearing. The ALR is a civil proceeding separate from the criminal case in the 38th District Court or the county court.

For a first offense adult refusal of chemical testing, the suspension is 180 days. Failing the test at 0.08 or above means a 90-day suspension. If there was a prior ALR suspension within 10 years, both of those periods double. After the suspension ends, a $125 reinstatement fee must be paid to DPS before a new license is issued. This process is detailed in Transportation Code Chapter 524. Winning the criminal case does not undo the ALR suspension. That requires a separate win at the ALR hearing.

Nearby Counties

Medina County is southwest of San Antonio. DWI cases from neighboring counties are handled by their own district and county courts.