When you receive a conviction for operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Wisconsin, you may face penalties such as jail time, license suspension and fines. These penalties increase depending on the circumstances of your arrest.
According to the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation, drivers face enhanced penalties if a child is with them in the vehicle at the time of their arrest. Anyone driving intoxicated with a child younger than 16 in the vehicle can face the following penalties.
First offense
Minimum jail terms for first offenders are five days, while fines range between $350 and $1,100. The license revocation period ranges from 12 to 18 months.
Second offense
By the second offense, those facing charges are subject to a jail term ranging between 10 days and 12 months. Fines range between $700 and $2,200, while the license revocation period lasts between two and three years.
Third offense
You will be looking at a jail term from 90 days to two years by the third offense. Fines also increase, ranging between $1,200 and $4,000. Once you have served your jail sentence, you must install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle for a period of four to six years.
Fourth offense
Jail terms increase with the fourth offense, though other penalties are similar. At this point, you will serve a minimum of 120 days in jail if you have no OWIs on your record in the past five years. If you have one OWI on record in the previous five years, the minimum jail term is one year.
