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Every month, Benavides Law Group analyzes Harris County District Clerk filing records to show how many DWI cases are filed, when the arrests happen, and who is charged. This page is updated each month with the newest numbers and keeps a running record going back to January 2025.
Latest Snapshot: September 2026
Harris County filed 1,138 DWI cases for arrests made in September 2026. That is 17% more than September 2025. One four-day holiday weekend, Labor Day, accounted for 304 of them.
Monthly Reports
Harris County DWI Cases by Month
The chart below shows DWI cases filed in Harris County by month of arrest, starting in January 2025. Monthly totals have ranged from 888 cases (February 2025) to 1,153 cases (November 2025).
Totals move with the calendar, including holiday weekends and the number of weekends in a month. For the cleanest comparison, look at a month against the same month a year earlier.
Where This Data Comes From and How We Count
The numbers on this page come from the Harris County District Clerk's public criminal-filings dataset. The most recent data file is dated October 10, 2026.
- Cases are grouped by the date of the alleged offense, not the filing date.
- Each person and arrest date is counted once, so refiled cases are not double-counted.
- Counts include DWI, DWI with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher, repeat-offense DWI, and DWI with a child passenger.
- Counts exclude boating while intoxicated, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter.
- The numbers reflect cases filed, not convictions. A charge is an accusation, and everyone is presumed innocent.
- A small number of cases may be filed late, so a month's total can rise slightly after it is first published.
What Happens After a DWI Arrest in Harris County
Three facts shape what comes next for someone arrested for DWI in Harris County.
- Harris County is a No-Refusal county every day of the year. That applies on ordinary weekends, not just on holidays. If a driver refuses a breath or blood test, officers can seek a warrant for a blood draw at any time.
- A blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher raises the charge. In Texas, it turns a first DWI from a Class B misdemeanor into a Class A misdemeanor.
- The ALR deadline is short. You generally have 15 days from receiving notice of a license suspension to request an ALR hearing. If you miss it, the suspension can take effect automatically.
September 2026 Harris County DWI Report
Harris County filed 1,138 DWI cases for arrests made in September 2026, and Labor Day weekend alone produced 304 of them.
September 2026 Headline Numbers
September's 1,138 cases were up from 1,109 in August 2026 and 973 in September 2025. The year-over-year jump is partly a calendar effect. In 2025, most of Labor Day weekend fell in August. Even so, both pieces grew. Labor Day weekend itself went from 240 cases in 2025 to 304 in 2026. The rest of September, the 8th through the 30th, rose 9%.
September 2026 Labor Day Weekend Arrests
From Friday, September 4 through Labor Day Monday, Harris County recorded 304 DWI arrests. That was more than any other weekend in 2026 through September. A typical 2026 weekend, Friday through Sunday, brings about 157 cases. Labor Day's Friday through Sunday alone brought 256.
Sunday, September 6 had 102 DWI arrests, the second-highest single day since January 2025. Only New Year's Day 2026 was higher.
State troopers made a visible difference. The Texas Department of Public Safety filed 51 DWI cases over the holiday weekend, half of its total for the entire month.
| Day | DWI arrests |
|---|---|
| Friday, September 4 | 60 |
| Saturday, September 5 | 94 |
| Sunday, September 6 | 102 |
| Monday, September 7 (Labor Day) | 48 |
View daily numbers as a table
| Tue Sep 1 | 20 |
| Wed Sep 2 | 20 |
| Thu Sep 3 | 31 |
| Fri Sep 4 | 60 |
| Sat Sep 5 | 94 |
| Sun Sep 6 | 102 |
| Mon Sep 7 | 48 |
| Tue Sep 8 | 20 |
| Wed Sep 9 | 15 |
| Thu Sep 10 | 19 |
| Fri Sep 11 | 28 |
| Sat Sep 12 | 57 |
| Sun Sep 13 | 57 |
| Mon Sep 14 | 20 |
| Tue Sep 15 | 12 |
| Wed Sep 16 | 20 |
| Thu Sep 17 | 25 |
| Fri Sep 18 | 38 |
| Sat Sep 19 | 67 |
| Sun Sep 20 | 65 |
| Mon Sep 21 | 30 |
| Tue Sep 22 | 17 |
| Wed Sep 23 | 17 |
| Thu Sep 24 | 27 |
| Fri Sep 25 | 46 |
| Sat Sep 26 | 50 |
| Sun Sep 27 | 73 |
| Mon Sep 28 | 20 |
| Tue Sep 29 | 18 |
| Wed Sep 30 | 22 |
September 2026 DWI Arrests by Day of Week
An average September Sunday produced 74 DWI arrests. An average Tuesday produced 17. Friday through Sunday accounted for 65% of the month's cases. Arrests made late on a Saturday night count toward Sunday, which helps explain why Sunday leads. Monday's average is lifted by Labor Day.
Who Was Charged in September 2026
Most September cases were first offenses. 226 people, or 20%, were charged with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher. In Texas, that raises a first DWI from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor. 111 cases were felonies, including 32 involving a child passenger under 15.
The median age was 33. Adults 25 to 34 made up the largest group. 57 people under 21 were charged with DWI. Men made up 80% of cases, and 225 women were charged with DWI. The Houston Police Department filed 394 cases, about a third of the county total.
Through September 2026, Harris County recorded 9,672 DWI cases for 2026 arrests. That is up about 7% from 9,001 cases for the same nine months of 2025. The busiest month so far in 2026 was March, with 1,149 cases. The slowest was July, with 947.
2026 Year to Date
Through September 2026, Harris County recorded 9,672 DWI cases for 2026 arrests. That is up about 7% from 9,001 cases for the same nine months of 2025. The busiest month so far in 2026 was March, with 1,149 cases. The slowest was July, with 947.
Arrested for DWI in Harris County?
- Watch the 15-day deadline. You generally have 15 days from receiving notice of a license suspension to request an ALR hearing. If you miss it, the suspension can take effect automatically.
- Don't discuss your case with anyone except your lawyer, including on social media.
- Write down what you remember while it's fresh: where you were, what you drank and when, and what officers said.
- Talk to a DWI defense lawyer before your first court date.
Benavides Law Group defends DWI cases in Harris County every week. Call 713-222-2828 for a confidential consultation. Hablamos español.
Frequently Asked Questions About Harris County DWI Statistics
Since January 2025, monthly totals have ranged from 888 to 1,153 cases. The most recent month, September 2026, had 1,138. These counts are cases filed by month of arrest, so a month's total can rise slightly as late filings come in.
In September 2026, Sunday had the highest average at 74 DWI arrests per Sunday, followed by Saturday at 67 and Friday at 43. Tuesday was the lowest at 17. Friday through Sunday accounted for 65% of the month's cases. Arrests made late on a Saturday night count toward Sunday.
Yes. Harris County is a No-Refusal county every day of the year, not just on holidays. If a driver refuses a breath or blood test, officers can seek a warrant for a blood draw at any time.
In Texas, a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher raises a first DWI from a Class B misdemeanor to a Class A misdemeanor. In September 2026, about 1 in 5 Harris County DWI cases (226 of 1,138) involved a level of 0.15 or higher.
You generally have 15 days from receiving notice of a license suspension to request an ALR hearing. If you miss the deadline, the suspension can take effect automatically. A lawyer can help you meet it.
No. The numbers on this page count cases filed, not convictions. A charge is an accusation, and everyone is presumed innocent. What happens in a given case depends on its facts and evidence.
The counts come from the Harris County District Clerk's public criminal-filings dataset. Cases are grouped by the date of the alleged offense, and each person and arrest date is counted once. See the section above on how we count for what is included and excluded.
Attorney advertising. Responsible attorney: Eric Benavides, Benavides Law Group PLLC, Houston, Texas. This page is general information, not legal advice. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.