DWI Records in Mills County

Mills County DUI and DWI records are kept by the District Clerk and County Clerk in Goldthwaite. This small Central Texas county processes DWI cases through the 35th District Court for felony charges and the County Court at Law for misdemeanor offenses. Records can be accessed in person at the courthouse on 4th Street or by contacting the clerk offices by phone.

Mills County District Clerk

The Mills County District Clerk handles all felony DWI records in Goldthwaite. The 35th District Court has jurisdiction over Mills County and handles third or higher DWI charges, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter. Under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49, a third DWI is a third-degree felony with a range of 2 to 10 years in state prison. Intoxication manslaughter carries 2 to 20 years. These records are kept permanently by the district clerk.

Online access to Mills County court records is very limited. Searches must generally be done in person at 1011 4th Street, Goldthwaite, or by written request by mail. Call ahead to confirm office hours since this is a small rural county courthouse. Bring the full legal name of the person you are searching and a time range for the case. Copy fees are $1.00 per page. Certified copies add $5.00. E-filing is available for attorneys through the state eFileTexas portal.

Mills County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

The Mills County Clerk maintains misdemeanor DWI records for the County Court at Law. A first DWI under Texas Penal Code Section 49.04 is a Class B misdemeanor with a minimum 72-hour jail sentence and a fine of up to $2,000. If the BAC is 0.15 or above, the charge is elevated to a Class A misdemeanor with up to one year in jail. A second DWI under Section 49.09 is a Class A with a mandatory 30-day minimum. The county clerk keeps these records permanently.

The county clerk office is at the same address on 4th Street. In-person access is the standard method for retrieving records. Bring photo ID and the defendant's full name. Records in smaller counties like Mills tend to be very accessible once you reach the clerk directly. Standard copy fees apply. Older records may need to be retrieved from a storage area but are still available on request.

The official Texas Penal Code Chapter 49 statutes, shown here from the state legislature website, govern every DWI charge filed in the Mills County courts.

Texas Penal Code Chapter 49 defines every DWI offense category that is filed and prosecuted in Mills County courts.

Mills County Sheriff DWI Arrests

The Mills County Sheriff's Office handles most DWI arrests in the county, which is almost entirely rural. Arrest reports and booking records are kept at the sheriff's office and are separate from the court records at the clerk offices. You can request these records under the Texas Public Information Act by contacting the sheriff directly. Include the full name of the arrested person, the date or approximate date of the incident, and your contact information.

Standard arrest report copies cost $5.00. Most requests take up to 10 business days. The reports include the deputy's observations of the driver, field sobriety test results, BAC data, and the charge filed under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. If any dash camera or body camera footage exists it can also be requested but may require separate processing time and fees.

Note: The 35th District Court also covers Brown County. Judges may travel between Goldthwaite and Brownwood depending on the court schedule, so call ahead if you plan to attend a hearing.

License Suspension After DWI in Mills County

A DWI arrest anywhere in Mills County starts the Texas DPS Administrative License Revocation process the same day. The officer takes the driver's physical license and issues a 40-day temporary permit. The driver has 15 days to request an ALR hearing or the suspension becomes automatic. The ALR proceeding is civil in nature and is handled separately from the criminal DWI case. The governing law is Transportation Code Chapter 524.

A first offense refusal leads to a 180-day suspension. Failing the breath or blood test at 0.08 or above leads to a 90-day suspension. If there was a prior ALR suspension within 10 years, both periods double. A $125 reinstatement fee must be paid to Texas DPS before a new license can be issued. Even if the criminal charges are later dismissed, the ALR suspension stands unless it was separately challenged and overturned.

DWI Law and Mills County Courts

Every DWI prosecution in Mills County is based on Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. The law allows prosecution under two distinct theories of intoxication. One is the per se standard: a BAC of 0.08 or higher as measured by breath, blood, or urine. The other is the impairment standard: the person no longer had normal use of mental or physical faculties due to alcohol or drugs. Either one can support a conviction. Both standards apply to drivers of all motor vehicles, not just cars and trucks.

Crash reports for DWI-related accidents in Mills County are held by TxDOT. The peace officer crash report (CR-3) costs $6 regular or $8 certified. All requests now use the CRIS Request online system. TxDOT no longer accepts mail subpoena requests as of January 2025. Crash records are kept for 10 years plus the current year.

Statewide DWI conviction data can be searched through the Texas DPS Crime Records Service. This helps determine if someone has prior DWI convictions that would affect the charge level in a current Mills County case. Driving records can be ordered from dps.texas.gov for $4 to $22 depending on the type.

Nearby Counties

Mills County is in Central Texas between Lampasas and San Saba. DWI cases in neighboring counties are handled by their own courts.