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Complete information about DWI arrests, impound, bail, courts, and procedures specific to Mason County, Texas.
15-day license deadline
Last verified: October 10, 2026
Key steps and deadlines for your DWI case in Mason County
The 1910 Mason County Courthouse burned to the ground in an arson fire on February 4, 2021 — the convicted arsonist, Nicholas Miller, got 75 years in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility. For three years, the 452nd District Court and local government operated out of a church gymnasium and a public library before the rebuilt courthouse finally reopened in July 2024, with new interior and exterior surveillance cameras alongside painstakingly preserved original floor tiles.
Mason County sees so few DUI arrests — just 3 in 2023, 4 in 2024 — that local magistrates, law enforcement, and court staff handle these cases infrequently compared to busier counties. There's no regular DWI task force or checkpoint operation here; the department's size doesn't support one.
A first-offense DWI in Texas typically carries bail between $1,000 and $3,000, averaging around $2,819 statewide; a second offense runs $3,000 to $7,000. A magistrate reviews charges and sets bail within 48 hours of arrest. Mason County has no commercial bail bond office of its own — defendants rely on bondsmen operating out of Brady or Llano, with 24/7 availability and, in at least one case, free local rides home upon release — a real help in a county with zero public transportation. Once bond posts, release from the jail takes about 90 minutes depending on workload.
DUI cases are prosecuted through the 452nd District Court, now housed in the rebuilt courthouse at 210 Westmoreland Street. County Judge Sheree Hardin steered the county through the multi-year reconstruction; Judge Rob Hofmann presides over the district court itself. Courtroom decorum is strictly enforced — no shorts, ripped jeans, sleeveless shirts, flip-flops, hats, crop tops, or midriff-exposing clothing, and cell phones are banned outright. Showing up in violation risks ejection by the bailiff and a Failure to Appear warrant if it costs you your docket call.
Puncher Towing & Recovery Service, at 905 Austin Street in Mason, handles non-consent tows for the county, licensed by TDLR for both towing and vehicle storage. Exact daily rates and release hours aren't published, so calling ahead before showing up is the safer move. Their trucks can carry up to five passengers, meaning anyone left stranded at the arrest scene doesn't have to find a separate ride.
The 15-day ALR deadline is strict and non-negotiable — miss it, and the suspension becomes automatic on day 40. Mason County has no DPS driver license office at all; the nearest Mega Centers sit in Austin or the San Antonio area, both appointment-only and often backlogged. The Texas.gov online portal handles renewals and simpler transactions without the drive.
No ignition interlock installer operates inside Mason County — the nearest options sit in Fredericksburg, Boerne, or the San Antonio/Austin corridor, requiring repeat trips for the mandatory 30-to-90-day calibration. No SCRAM provider or SR-22 agent is confirmed locally either. DWI education, by contrast, can now be completed entirely online via Zoom through several TDLR-certified providers, a real relief given how far the nearest physical classroom sits.
When facing a DWI charge in Mason County, finding local, experienced representation is critical. Below are DWI defense attorneys serving Mason County, TX; paid listings are advertisements and ratings are from Google.
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