Find and Access Wisconsin DWI Records

A Wisconsin DWI offense is committed when an individual is found driving while intoxicated by alcohol or drugs or both. As per Wisconsin DWI laws a person is  unfit to operate or drive a motor vehicle in a state of intoxication that affects physical or mental capabilities. A person can be convicted of DUI offense if he or she has a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or above. In the State of Wisconsin the permissible blood alcohol content is 0.08 in cases of first, second and third offense only; for fourth or any subsequent offense the permissible blood alcohol content is 0.02.

All DWI arrests and case filings are preserved and maintained by the Department of Transportation, Wisconsin. If the conviction is part of the criminal records, the Wisconsin DWI records would be available from a criminal background check as well.

Wisconsin DWI Records

Wisconsin DWI records can be obtained from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. However you can only access your own records. The driving record or the motor vehicle driving abstract includes your driving history details for a particular duration. All driving information dating back to 5 years are kept in this record. However serious offenses and convictions are kept for a period of 55 years.

There are two ways to access your driving record, via mail or phone. To ask for your driver record you can call (608) 261-2566. You need to follow the instructions carefully and enter your Social Security Number to access the information. The service offers you your driving records on payment of a fee. The record and the bill are mailed to your address.

If you want to access Wisconsin driving record details via mail fill out the Vehicle/Driver Record Information Request Form available at http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/forms/mv2896.pdf. The completed form and the processing fee needs to be mailed at Wisconsin Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 7995, Madison, WI 53707-7995.

If you want to check the present status of the driver’s license you own, call (608) 264-7133. The service is available round the clock and all you need to do is provide your date of birth and your Social Security Number. The automated voice lets you know the current status of the driver’s license. You can also access this facility online at https://trust.dot.state.wi.us/occsin/occsinservlet?whoami=statusp1. You can do the check using your driver’s license number or your full name, date of birth and sex or date of birth and Social Security Number.

If you have specific queries about particular Wisconsin DWI records you can call the Wisconsin Department of Transportation at (608) 266-2353. Or you could send an email to driverrecords.dmv@dot.state.wi.us for the same.

Information Contained in Wisconsin DWI Records

The laws dictating what could be included in your criminal history records were updated on January 1, 1989. If an individual is convicted of two or more DWI offenses the records are part of the criminal records on a permanent basis. If the second offense is committed after a period of 10 years from the previous offense, the second offense is treated as a first, according to DUI laws of Wisconsin.

If a person is found guilty of a third DWI offense it is considered a third offense and goes into the records directly irrespective of when it was committed. After a modification done to the Wisconsin DUI law (September 30, 2003), in case a person has been found guilty of DWI but has a blood alcohol content that is equal to or more than 0.08 but less than 0.10 need not be included in the driving history records. Apart from these rules and regulations all Wisconsin DWI offenses and consequent convictions must be preserved in the driving records.

For all details with regard to drunk driving in Wisconsin and its various aspects you can check out http://wilawlibrary.gov/topics/justice/crimlaw/drunk.php.

How Wisconsin Courts Fit Into DWI Laws

Wisconsin courts maintain the criminal history database of the state. All felony offenses as well as certain misdemeanors are recorded in the criminal history databases. All DWI offenses that fall within particular categories are automatically updated in the criminal history databases. You can conduct an online search for Wisconsin DWI records from the circuit court case search option available at http://wcca.wicourts.gov/simpleCaseSearch.xsl.

The common penalty for Wisconsin DWI offense is a jail term, not exceeding 1 year, or a fine of up to $8,000, according to the blood alcohol content, or both. The jail term as well as the fine may increase if it is a fifth or subsequent offense as the case is treated as a felony. It is also considered to be a felony if the DWI offense causes injury or death of another. In these cases the offense and conviction records are on the driving records of the individual permanently.