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Harris County: DWI arrest data

Processing and bail: sample estimates

Harris County (Houston) had 12,393 DWI arrests in 2024, as the Texas Department of Public Safety counts them. The processing times and bail below are illustrative samples, not records: they show how county data will be presented once real records are published.

01Arrests

Harris County DWI arrests by year

Arrest records counted in the county by the state, year by year. The processing, bail and court sections below are samples.

Counted by the Texas Department of Public Safety · 2015–2025 (2025 preliminary)

12,393 DWI arrests in 2024

−18.9% from 15,272 in 2019, the highest year · 245.6 per 100,000 residents

2025, preliminary: 11,895

Source: Texas Department of Public Safety, Crime Records Division, as of Oct 20, 2026. DWI arrest records by county from the DPS 'Arrest Stats by County' spreadsheets (four releases). Each year comes from the latest release that covers it. Population: U.S. Census Bureau, county population estimates, Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025).

  • Counts are arrest records for DWI offense lines as DPS counts them, not people.
  • 2025 is preliminary (release as of 2026-01-13).
  • A missing number means DPS printed no row for that county and year: either no DWI arrest record or the county did not report. The files do not say which.
  • Arrests by federal and tribal agencies that DPS lists outside any county are not in any county's count; the statewide total is the counties plus those.
  • County is where DPS records the arrest, not where the person lives. Population is the Census Bureau's estimate for July 1, 2025 (county population estimates, Vintage 2025), not a DPS number. The same figure is used for every year, and the state's population has grown every year since 2020, so a rate for an earlier year is only approximate.

* 2025 is preliminary and may change.

The numbers, year by year
DWI arrests in Harris County by year, and per 100,000 residents
YearDWI arrestsPer 100,000 residents
201510,536208.8
201610,987217.8
201711,927236.4
201813,605269.7
201915,272302.7
202013,869274.9
202114,978296.9
202212,122240.3
202311,938236.6
202412,393245.6
2025 (preliminary)11,895235.8

Harris County among every Texas countyAll Texas counties by year

Populations are the Census Bureau’s July 1, 2025 estimates (Vintage 2025), one figure for every year, so a rate for an earlier year is only approximate.

Harris County DWI at a glance

Shortest modeled release
3–7 hrs
Weekday morning arrest
Longest modeled release
10–18 hrs
Weekend night arrest
Typical 1st-offense bail
$2,000
Range: $500–$5,000
OR / PR release rate
~22%
Released without bail on 1st offense

02Processing times

Harris County DWI processing times

Estimated hours from arrest to release. Actual time depends on booking volume, bond officer availability, and whether bail is needed.
Modeled hours from arrest to release, by day of the week and time of the arrest
Mon – ThuFri – Sun
Morning6 AM – Noon
3–7hmid 5
6–12hmid 9
AfternoonNoon – 6 PM
4–9hmid 6.5
7–14hmid 10.5
Evening6 PM – 10 PM
5–11hmid 8
8–16hmid 12
Night10 PM – 6 AM
8–15hmid 11.5
10–18hmid 14

Each box shows the range; its shade follows the middle of the range (“mid”, in hours):

  • 6 or less
  • Over 6 to 12
  • Over 12 to 20
  • Over 20

Illustrative estimates, not yet derived from real booking records.

03Booking

Booking at Harris County Inmate Processing Center (IPC)

The stages the sample models, in order.
Jail

Harris County Inmate Processing Center (IPC)

1200 Baker St, Houston, TX 77002
Court

Arraignment

Harris County Criminal Courts

24–48 hours after booking

  1. Arrest and transport

    A person arrested in Harris County is transported to Harris County Inmate Processing Center (IPC) for processing.

  2. Booking (fingerprints, photo, property)

    Belongings are catalogued and stored, and a final BAC test or blood draw may be taken at the facility. The sample models booking at 1–2 hours.

  3. Holding until a bond officer reviews

    A bond officer reviews the charges and criminal history. In Harris County the sample models this as the longest wait, especially overnight and on weekends.

  4. Bail set or release on recognizance

    Bail is set from criminal history, BAC level and the circumstances of the offense. In the sample, about 22% of first-offense DWI defendants in Harris County are released on their own recognizance, without cash.

  5. Release

    Once bail is posted or recognizance release is approved, release paperwork is modeled at 30 minutes to 2 hours. A court date for arraignment follows, listed as 24–48 hours after booking.

04Bail

Harris County DWI bail amounts

Illustrative figures, not court records. Actual bail is set by a judge and depends on the case.
Harris County sample bail amounts by offense
OffenseTypical bailRangeCost to post a typical bail
1st Offense DWI$2,000$500 – $5,000$200 · 10% premium
2nd Offense DWI$5,000$2,000 – $10,000$500 · 10% premium
Sample text, not sourced. A 10% bondsman premium in Texas: about $200, non-refundable, on a $2,000 bond.
Factors the sample treats as raising bail: BAC of 0.15% or more, an accident or injury, a child passenger, a prior DWI within 10 years, a commercial driver's license.

05Court

Court information: Harris County

Court

Harris County Criminal Courts

1201 Franklin St, Houston, TX 77002

Arraignment: 24–48 hours after booking. This is the first court appearance, where the charge is read and a plea is entered.

Court website

06Related

More on Texas

Data note: Processing times, bail ranges and release rates on this page are illustrative estimates, not derived from real booking records, and may not reflect current conditions. Facility names and addresses are unverified entries. Actual bail is set at the judge's discretion. This page is general information for data analysis, not legal advice. See the Disclaimer.