Kitsap County DUI Data Report

Overview

This report compiles available data on DUI (Driving Under the Influence) citations, arrests, court cases, and revenue in Kitsap County, Washington, from 2005 to 2025, as well as the history of Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) thresholds in Washington State. The data is sourced from various public records, including the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Courts, and the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC). Due to limitations in publicly available data, especially for earlier years (2005–2013) and revenue, some information is incomplete, and further research may require direct requests to relevant agencies.

BAC Threshold History in Washington State

Washington State has maintained a BAC limit of 0.08% for adult drivers of non-commercial vehicles since at least 1999, when it was lowered from 0.10%, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission (Washington state lawmakers introduce bill). This change aligned with federal incentives under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which encouraged states to adopt a 0.08% limit by 2004 to avoid losing highway funds (NHTSA Legislative History). No changes to the 0.08% limit have occurred from 2005 to 2025, despite recent legislative proposals (e.g., Senate Bill 5002 in 2023 and House Bill 2196 in 2024) to lower it to 0.05%, following Utah’s 2018 precedent (Axios Seattle). These proposals have not been enacted as of May 2025.

For commercial drivers, the BAC limit is 0.04%, and for drivers under 21, it is 0.02%, both unchanged during the period (Emerald City Law Group). The 2006 session law (Chapter 73) amended DUI statutes but focused on felony DUI provisions for repeat offenders, not BAC thresholds (Washington State Legislature).

Table 1: Washington State BAC Limits

Driver Category	BAC Limit	Effective Since
Adult (Non-commercial)	0.08%	1999
Commercial Drivers	0.04%	1994
Drivers Under 21	0.02%	1994

DUI Arrests and Citations in Kitsap County

DUI arrests in Kitsap County are primarily reported by the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington State Patrol (WSP). The Sheriff’s Office provides data from 2014 to 2024, with partial data for 2025 (Kitsap County Crime Stats). For 2005–2013, specific data is limited, but a 2013 report indicates 148 DUI arrests during the 2012 holiday period, suggesting consistent enforcement (Kitsap Daily News). Citations typically correspond to arrests, as DUI charges are filed post-arrest, but separate citation data is not reported.

Table 2: Kitsap County DUI Arrests (2014–2025)

Year	DUI Arrests	Source
2014	134	Kitsap County Sheriff
2015	135	Kitsap County Sheriff
2016	136	Kitsap County Sheriff
2017	227	Kitsap County Sheriff
2018	289	Kitsap County Sheriff
2019	241	Kitsap County Sheriff
2020	172	Kitsap County Sheriff
2021	172	Kitsap County Sheriff
2022	175	Kitsap County Sheriff
2023	225	Kitsap County Sheriff
2024	242	Kitsap County Sheriff
2025 (Jan-Mar)	67	Kitsap County Sheriff

For 2005–2013, data is not publicly available online. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) reports state-level data, but county-specific breakdowns are limited (WASPC Crime Statistics). The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program provides state-level DUI arrest rates, e.g., 430.2 arrests per 100,000 people in Washington in 2018, with a peak of 647.08 in 2010 (Patch). Estimating Kitsap County’s share (population ~280,000 in a state of ~7.5 million in 2018) suggests roughly 120–150 annual arrests, consistent with later data.

Court Cases in Kitsap County

DUI cases are handled by Kitsap County District Court and municipal courts (e.g., Bremerton, Port Orchard). Recent data shows 524 DUI filings in a single year, with 224 guilty verdicts, 114 dismissals, and 222 reduced/amended charges (Washington State Courts). From 2014–2019, annual filings were at least 795, dropping to 598 in 2023 (Kitsap Sun). Historical data for 2005–2013 is not online but may be available in archived court reports (Washington State Courts Archive).

Table 3: Recent Kitsap County DUI Court Caseload (2024)

Metric	Total	District	Bainbridge Island	Bremerton	Port Orchard	Poulsbo
Filings	524	296	21	162	25	20
Charges	525	297	21	162	25	20
Guilty	224	113	13	70	23	5
Dismissed	114	70	9	17	9	9
Reduced/Amended	222	150	3	45	15	9

Revenue from DUI Cases

No specific data on revenue from DUI cases in Kitsap County is publicly available. Fines for a first-time DUI range from $350 to $5,000, with additional costs for court fees, ignition interlock devices, and mandatory programs (Burg DUI Defense). Statewide, alcohol-related crashes cost $5.8 billion in 2010, but county-level revenue is not reported (Ridgefield Recovery). A public records request to Kitsap County courts would be needed to obtain precise figures.

Data Sources and Limitations

Sources: Data is drawn from the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Courts, WTSC, and WASPC. The FBI UCR program provides state-level context (FBI UCR).
Limitations: Data for 2005–2013 is not readily available online, requiring direct requests to agencies. Revenue data is absent, and court case data before 2014 is sparse. Estimates for earlier years rely on state trends and population ratios, which may not be precise.

Recommendations for Further Research

To complete the 2005–2013 dataset and obtain revenue data, contact:

Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office: For historical arrest records (Kitsap Sheriff).
Washington State Courts: For archived caseload reports (Washington Courts Archive).
Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office: For revenue and case disposition details.

This report provides a foundation for studying DUI trends in Kitsap County, highlighting enforcement patterns and data gaps for further investigation.

Kitsap DUI

Kitsap County DUI Statistics