Travis County DWI Lawyer

In Travis County, each criminal case is assigned a cause number and a courtroom. According to the Travis County District Attorney's Office, cause numbers beginning "D-1-DC" are felony cases handled by the District Attorney, and a cause number beginning with the letter "C" is a misdemeanor case handled by the County Attorney's Office. The County Attorney's Office is at 314 West 11th Street, Room 300, Austin, TX 78701, and the District Attorney's Office is at 416 W. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701.

Misdemeanor DWI cases are heard in the seven criminal County Courts at Law (County Courts #3 through #9). Felony cases are heard in the nine criminal District Courts (the 147th, 167th, 299th, 331st, 390th, 403rd, 427th, 450th and 460th), and the county also has a District Magistrate Court. The criminal courthouse is the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 West 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701, (512) 854-9244.

Sources: traviscountytx.gov and districtattorney.traviscountytx.gov. Verified October 5, 2026.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, and no outcome can be guaranteed.

See also the Texas DWI hub and our second-offense DWI guide.

An Administrative License Revocation (ALR) case is a civil process with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) that is separate from the criminal DWI case. Under Tex. Transp. Code §524.031, a hearing is held if DPS receives a written request (or a request made another way DPS prescribes) not later than the 15th day after the date you receive notice of suspension, or are presumed to have received it.

What the statutes provide:

• 90-day suspension for an adult with no alcohol-related or drug-related enforcement contact on the driving record in the 10 years before the arrest, and one year if there is one or more (§524.022)
• 180 days for a refusal to give a specimen, or two years if the driving record shows one or more such contacts in the prior 10 years (§724.035)
• A timely hearing request stays the suspension until the administrative law judge's final decision (§524.032(d))
• The hearing is held before an administrative law judge of the State Office of Administrative Hearings (§524.033) and is a civil matter independent of the criminal charge (§524.012(e))

Because the clock runs from the date you receive notice, call as soon as you can after an arrest. Your attorney may use the ALR process to request records and to hear the officer's testimony under oath, and what is said there may be relevant to the criminal case.

Sources: Texas Transportation Code chapters 524 and 724 (statute text). Verified October 5, 2026. Statute text can be amended; confirm current law with your attorney.

According to the Travis County Sheriff's Office, a person arrested in Travis County is brought to the Central Booking Facility within the Travis County Jail, 500 W. 10th St., Austin, TX 78701. The Sheriff's Office lists 512-854-4180 for jail information, and states that on release the person receives paperwork with the court date, which can also be obtained through an attorney. Travis County also houses people at the Travis County Correctional Complex, 3614 Bill Price Rd., Del Valle, TX 78617.

If you or a family member was just arrested, you can search for a person in custody on the Sheriff's inmate search page and call us with the booking name and date of birth.

Source: tcsheriff.org (Arrest & Booking; Contact an Inmate). Verified October 5, 2026.

Penalties are set by the Texas Penal Code and apply the same way in every county. As written in the statutes:

• First DWI (§49.04): Class B misdemeanor with a minimum term of confinement of 72 hours (six days if an open container was in the person's immediate possession). A Class B misdemeanor carries up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 (§12.22).
• Alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more (§49.04(d)): Class A misdemeanor, up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 (§12.21).
• Second DWI (§49.09(a)): Class A misdemeanor with a minimum term of confinement of 30 days.
• Third or later DWI, or a prior intoxication manslaughter conviction (§49.09(b)): third-degree felony, two to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000 (§12.34).
• DWI with a passenger younger than 15 (§49.045): state jail felony, 180 days to two years and a fine of up to $10,000 (§12.35).
• Intoxication assault (§49.07): third-degree felony. Intoxication manslaughter (§49.08): second-degree felony, two to 20 years and a fine of up to $10,000 (§12.33). Both can be enhanced under §49.09.

These are statutory ranges, not predictions. What happens in a particular case depends on its facts and its record. See our guides to a first-offense DWI and the cost of a DWI in Texas.

Sources: Texas Penal Code §§12.21, 12.22, 12.33, 12.34, 12.35, 49.04, 49.045, 49.07, 49.08, 49.09. Verified October 5, 2026.

Yes. The county's DWI Court Program sits in County Court at Law #7. According to Travis County, it is a court-sanctioned program of twelve months or longer that targets repeat DWI offenders, combining case management, treatment and supervision. The County Attorney's Office and District Attorney's Office evaluate each case individually, and eligible defendants are scheduled for a clinical assessment. Whether a particular person qualifies depends on the program's criteria and the prosecutors' review, and an attorney can explain how those criteria may apply to your situation.

Source: Travis County DWI Court Program page (traviscountytx.gov). Verified October 5, 2026.

It may be, depending on the evidence in the specific case. No lawyer can promise a result. The State must prove each element of the offense, including that the person was intoxicated while operating a motor vehicle in a public place (§49.04(a)). An attorney can review why the vehicle was stopped, how any roadside tests were given, how a breath or blood specimen was collected and analyzed, and the records that exist, and then explain which of those issues may matter to the case. The ALR process described above may also give your attorney an early look at the officer's account.

Texas Defense Team publishes flat fees for DWI defense, and the fee quoted in your signed representation agreement is the fee that controls. See the full fee schedule, or call (512) 599-9000 for a free consultation. No outcome can be guaranteed in any case.