Orange County DUI and DWI Records

Orange County DWI and DUI records are kept by the District Clerk and County Clerk at the courthouse in Orange, Texas. The county has three active district courts and handles felony DWI cases, intoxication assault, and related charges. You can search records in person or by mail, and some case data may be available through state court tools online.

Orange County District Clerk

The Orange County District Clerk at 801 W. Division Street handles all felony DWI records in the county. This includes third-offense DWI and above, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter. Orange County has three district courts: the 128th, 163rd, and 260th. Felony cases are filed and tracked here. Records show charges, bond conditions, hearing dates, and final case outcomes.

To get a copy of a DWI case record, you can go to the clerk's office in person or send a written request by mail. The copy fee is $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost more and require an added fee at the time of request. E-filing is available for attorneys through eFileTexas.gov. If you need to search for a case and do not have a case number, bring the full name of the defendant and an approximate date of the offense. Staff can help narrow the search.

Note: The District Clerk does not handle misdemeanor DWI records. First and second DWI offenses are Class B and Class A misdemeanors and go through the County Clerk instead.

Orange County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

The Orange County Clerk at 801 W. Division Street maintains all misdemeanor DWI case records. Under Texas Penal Code Section 49.04, a first DWI is a Class B misdemeanor. A second offense is a Class A misdemeanor under Section 49.09. Both types are processed through the County Court. Records include the arrest details, BAC test result, plea, and sentence.

You can request misdemeanor DWI records by visiting the county clerk in person or submitting a written request. Bring the name of the person and the approximate date of the case. The clerk's office is open during standard courthouse hours. Fees for copies are set by state law at $1.00 per page with certified copies costing more. In-person requests typically get same-day service for available records.

The Texas DPS Crime Records Division also maintains conviction data for DWI cases statewide. This can be a useful backup source if the local clerk record is hard to locate.

The state's official court records portal at txcourts.gov has tools and links that may help you access case information for Orange County courts. Not all records are online, but this is a good place to start before making a trip to the courthouse.

Texas DPS and the state court system provide official access points for DWI conviction data, including records from Orange County cases processed through the 128th, 163rd, and 260th District Courts.

Orange County Sheriff - Arrest Records

The Orange County Sheriff's Office handles DWI arrests in unincorporated parts of the county. Arrest records, jail booking data, and incident reports are kept by the Sheriff's records division. To get a copy of an arrest report, you can submit a written public information request to the Sheriff's Office. Report fees are $5.00. Processing time is typically several business days.

The City of Orange has its own police department that handles DWI arrests within city limits. The Orange Police Department is at 802 Green Avenue and can be reached at (409) 883-1026. Their records office handles requests by mail or in person. Report fees are $5.00. For crashes involving DWI, you may also need the officer crash report (CR-3) from TxDOT, which costs $6.00 for a standard copy and $8.00 for a certified copy.

Jail booking records in Orange County show the charge at the time of arrest. A DWI charge on a booking record does not mean conviction. It is the court record that shows the final outcome of the case.

Texas DWI Law and Orange County Cases

Orange County DWI cases are prosecuted under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. A first DWI at a BAC of 0.08 or higher is a Class B misdemeanor. If the BAC is 0.15 or above, it becomes a Class A misdemeanor under Section 49.04. A third DWI is a third-degree felony. Driving drunk with a child under 15 in the car is a state jail felony under Section 49.045.

Intoxication assault under Section 49.07 is a third-degree felony, and intoxication manslaughter under Section 49.08 is a second-degree felony. These more serious charges go through the district courts in Orange County. Case records for these offenses are held by the District Clerk at 801 W. Division Street.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission at tabc.texas.gov is another relevant agency. TABC handles licensing and oversees alcohol sales, which can intersect with DWI enforcement in Orange County when bars or retailers are involved in an incident.

Driver License and ALR in Orange County

A DWI arrest in Orange County triggers the Texas Administrative License Revocation (ALR) process through the Texas DPS Driver License Division. The arresting officer takes the physical license and gives the driver a 40-day temporary driving permit. The driver has 15 days to request an ALR hearing. If no hearing is requested, the suspension takes effect automatically.

For a first DWI with a BAC of 0.08 or above, the suspension is 90 days. If the driver refuses to take the breath or blood test, the suspension is 180 days. Prior ALR suspensions within 10 years can double those periods. The ALR case runs separate from the criminal case in court. Even if the criminal DWI charge is dropped or dismissed, the ALR suspension can still go forward.

After a suspension, drivers in Orange County must pay a $125 reinstatement fee to DPS before they can get a new license. Driving records can be ordered from dps.texas.gov. Fees range from $4 to $22 depending on the record type. The full ALR framework is set out in Transportation Code Chapter 524.

Note: ALR hearings are conducted by the State Office of Administrative Hearings, not by the county court. The outcome of the ALR hearing does not affect the criminal DWI case and vice versa.

Nearby Counties

Orange County borders several other counties in Southeast Texas. DWI cases from those counties go through their own separate court systems.