How Indiana OWI courts are organised
A OWI charge in Indiana is prosecuted in the Superior Court or Circuit Court that serves the county or municipality where the stop happened, not where you live. The clerk's office in that courthouse controls your hearing dates, accepts motions and continuances, and takes payment of fines and court costs. Calendars, filing hours and remote-appearance rules differ from courthouse to courthouse, so confirm them with the clerk before your first date.
Indiana superior and circuit courts hear operating-while-intoxicated cases at every level: Class C and Class A misdemeanors, and Level 6 and Level 5 felonies for repeat or aggravated offenses. Appeals go to the Indiana Court of Appeals, with discretionary review by the Indiana Supreme Court.
The state judiciary publishes the authoritative directory of courthouses, judges and calendars at in.gov. Use it to confirm the address and division for your case number; local listings age quickly.
Courthouse locations, hearing calendars, clerk contacts and self-help forms.
The separate licence action, which the criminal court does not decide.
What happens at each stage in Indiana
A OWI case in Indiana is heard in the Superior Court or Circuit Court, and a separate licence action runs alongside the criminal case.
- 1Arrest, booking and the chemical test — Officers arrest for OWI under Ind. Code § 9-30-5-2 and request a breath, blood or urine test under Indiana's implied-consent section, Ind. Code § 9-30-6-1. Refusing carries its own licence penalty, separate from the criminal charge.
- 2Licence action by the state agency — A court may order the BMV to suspend driving privileges after an OWI arrest or conviction. That action runs on its own timetable, independent of the criminal case.
- 3Arraignment in the Superior Court or Circuit Court — The charge is read, a plea is entered and conditions of release are set in the Superior Court or Circuit Court. Indiana superior and circuit courts hear operating-while-intoxicated cases at every level: Class C and Class A misdemeanors, and Level 6 and Level 5 felonies for repeat or aggravated offenses.
- 4Pretrial motions and discovery — Defence counsel obtains the police report, test records and calibration or maintenance logs, and may move to suppress the stop or the test result. Indiana courts use the statewide Odyssey system for filings and records.
- 5Plea or trial, then sentencing — A first OWI conviction carries a fine of up to $5,000, jail exposure up to 1 year, a licence suspension of 6 months. A first offense is a misdemeanor; the suspension length depends on the charge level.
- 6Reinstatement — Ind. Code § 9-25-6-15 sets a reinstatement fee that must be paid before privileges are restored. Indiana requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 3 years before the licence is restored.
Filing and case handling in Indiana
- Indiana courts use the statewide Odyssey system for filings and records.
- The Bureau of Motor Vehicles handles suspension and reinstatement separately from the criminal case.
- A court may order a Driver Safety Program as part of the reinstatement requirements.
- Specialised problem-solving courts operate in many counties for repeat impaired-driving cases.
Whatever the local practice, take your citation or case number to every call — clerks index by case, not by name — and get the payable amount for fines and court costs in writing before you pay.
Indiana ZIP codes covered
These Indiana ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these Indiana resources
Counties
Other Indiana official resources
Frequently asked questions
- Which court handles a first OWI charge in Indiana?
- First-offense OWI cases in Indiana are heard in the Superior Court or Circuit Court for the county where the stop happened. The court clerk's office there sets the arraignment date and accepts filings.