Wisconsin First Offense OWI

Wisconsin First Offense OWI Laws Explained in Easy to Understand Simple Terms

Wisconsin has an Implied Consent Law. This means that if a police officer asks you to take a PAC (Prohibited Alcohol Concentration) test to determine whether or not you’ve been drinking, you are required by law to do so. Refusing to submit to a blood or breath alcohol test will result in the loss of your driver’s license for at least one year.

If you are caught driving with a PAC (0.08 or higher), you will be charged with OWI. If you have been arrested for OWI, or for any other related offense, the best thing you can do to protect yourself and life as you know it is to contact an experienced OWI lawyer right away.

Wisconsin OWI law is complex, and you will want a seasoned professional to guide you through it. An OWI conviction will stay on your driving record for the rest of your life.

Wisconsin First Offense DUI Penalties

If you have been arrested for OWI, and you have no prior OWI arrests within the previous 10 years, then this will be considered your first offense.

In Wisconsin, penalties for a first offense OWI include:

  • $150 to $300 in fines.
  • $365 OWI surcharge.
  • Alcohol assessment.
  • 6 to 9 month revocation of your driver’s license.

Before your driver’s license will be reinstated following your revocation period you will be required to complete an SR22 filing with the DMV.

If there was a child under the age of 16 in your vehicle at the time of your arrest, you may also have to serve 5 days to 6 months in jail.

If your blood alcohol content was 0.15 or higher, you may also be restricted to a vehicle equipped with an ignition interlock device.

If your OWI incident caused an injury to someone, penalties may include:

  • $300 to $2000 in fines.
  • $365 OWI surcharge.
  • 30 days to 1 year in jail.
  • Alcohol assessment.
  • 1 to 2 year revocation of your driver’s license.
  • Ignition interlock requirement.
  • $50 ignition interlock surcharge.

Wisconsin’s Ignition Interlock Program

An ignition interlock requirement applies to every vehicle owned by the offender, including motorcycles. Failure to install an ignition interlock device (IID) will result in a $150 to $600 fine per vehicle.

Installation of an IID can cost from $75 to $150. There is also a monthly fee that can range from $60 to $90. There may also be a $40 to $60 removal fee. Low-income individuals may qualify for financial assistance.

If you do not own a vehicle, and you are restricted to ignition interlock driving, in order to drive a vehicle, any vehicle, it would need to be equipped with an IID.

Wisconsin and SR22 Insurance

SR22 insurance is a special auto insurance policy that many states require of high risk drivers, such as DUI/OWI offenders. Wisconsin does require certain high risk drivers to file an SR22 form, which means they need to purchase SR22 insurance. However, this requirement does not apply to first offenses. If this is only your first offense OWI, you do not need to worry about SR22 insurance.

Additional Wisconsin DUI Resources