Menard County DUI Records

Menard County DUI and DWI records are maintained by the District Clerk and County Clerk in the small town of Menard in the Texas Hill Country. With a population under 2,500, this is one of the least populous counties in Texas. DWI case records are available through the courthouse, but online access is very limited and most requests must be made in person or by mail.

Menard County District Clerk

The Menard County District Clerk handles all felony DWI records for the county. Menard County is served by the 198th District Court, which is a multi-county district covering several rural Hill Country counties. Felony DWI cases include third or higher DWI offenses, intoxication assault, intoxication manslaughter, and DWI with a child passenger under 15 years old. The courthouse is at 206 W. Menard Avenue in downtown Menard.

Under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49, a third DWI is a third-degree felony with 2 to 10 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. Intoxication assault is also a third-degree felony. Intoxication manslaughter is a second-degree felony carrying 2 to 20 years. All felony DWI records are kept permanently. Copies cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies carry a $5.00 additional fee per document. Because this is a very small county, call ahead before visiting to confirm the clerk has time to pull files and that the information you need is on hand.

Menard County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

The Menard County Clerk keeps misdemeanor DWI records from the county court. First and second offense DWI are Class B and Class A misdemeanors under Penal Code Sections 49.04 and 49.09. A first DWI has a 72-hour minimum jail term and fines up to $2,000. A second offense carries a 30-day mandatory minimum. Records show the charge, BAC data, plea, and the sentence the court handed down. Misdemeanor DWI convictions are held permanently even though the cases are lower-level.

Online access for Menard County is very limited. There is no public online search portal for this county. Plan to contact the county clerk directly at (325) 396-4682 or send a written request by mail. When writing in, include the defendant's name, the approximate year of the case, and the type of copy you need. Cash or check are the usual accepted payment forms for small rural county offices. Standard copies are $1.00 per page and certified copies add a $5.00 fee.

Note: DPS keeps statewide conviction data separate from local court files. You can order a driving record from dps.texas.gov for $4 to $22 depending on the type.

Menard County Sheriff Records

The Menard County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency in this rural Hill Country county. Because there is no large city in Menard County, the sheriff's office handles most DWI arrests. DWI arrest reports include the deputy's account of events, field sobriety test observations, chemical test results, and booking information. Records are kept at the sheriff's office in Menard.

To get a copy of an arrest report, contact the Menard County Sheriff's Office. Standard report copies are $5.00. Certified copies add $5.00 per document. Written requests can be mailed to the office at the Menard courthouse address. The Texas Public Information Act applies to all law enforcement records, and DPS can be reached at publicrecords@dps.texas.gov for state-level record requests. Typical processing runs 10 business days for most requests.

DWI Law and Menard County Cases

All DWI cases in Menard County are governed by Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. Section 49.04 makes a first DWI a Class B misdemeanor. A BAC of 0.15 or more raises it to Class A. Second offense DWI is a Class A misdemeanor with a 30-day mandatory minimum. Third or more is a felony. DWI with a passenger under 15 under Section 49.045 is a state jail felony regardless of prior convictions. Cases involving vehicles on any Menard County public road fall under the same statewide DWI framework as every other Texas county.

Crash-related DWI cases in Menard County can produce peace officer crash reports available through TxDOT's CRIS system. Regular copies are $6.00 and certified copies are $8.00. TxDOT holds crash records for 10 years. All requests must go through the online CRIS portal since January 2025 when TxDOT ended mailed subpoena processing.

The statewide Texas DPS portal shown below covers the resources used to access DWI-related records for all Texas counties including Menard County.

The Texas DPS Crime Records Division maintains statewide DWI conviction data and processes criminal history information from small counties like Menard.

License Suspension After a DWI Arrest in Menard County

After a DWI arrest anywhere in Menard County, the Texas DPS Administrative License Revocation program begins immediately. The officer takes the physical driver's license and gives the driver a 40-day temporary permit. The driver then has 15 days to request an ALR hearing from DPS. If no request is made, the suspension is automatic. The ALR hearing is a civil administrative process completely separate from the criminal court case in the 198th District Court.

For a first offense adult, refusing a chemical test means a 180-day suspension. Failing the test at 0.08 or above means 90 days. Any prior ALR action within 10 years doubles these periods. A $125 reinstatement fee is required before DPS issues a new license after the suspension period ends. All ALR rules follow Transportation Code Chapter 524. A not-guilty verdict on the criminal charge does not cancel the ALR suspension. The two proceedings are independent of each other.

Nearby Counties

Menard County is in the Texas Hill Country. Surrounding counties have their own district courts and DWI record systems.