Second Offense OWI Wisconsin Penalties

 

Penalties for Second Offense OWI in Wisconsin

A second offense OWI is a serious crime with significantly more severe penalties than first offense OWIs. A first offense is considered a civil offense, but a second OWI is a criminal offense in the state of Wisconsin, no matter what the circumstances.

Wisconsin recognizes that if a driver has no prior OWIs within 10 years or a Great Bodily Harm or Homicide by Intoxicated Use offense and commits a second OWI, they will be penalized as if they have committed a first OWI.

Second Offense OWI Penalties

If you are convicted of OWI in Wisconsin for a second time, you may receive any and all of the following penalties:

• Jail time of up to 6 months, which can be doubled if there is a passenger under 16 years of age in the vehicle at the time.
• Fines range from a minimum of $350 to a maximum of $1,100. These minimums and maximums double when the driver’s BAC is .17% to .199%, triple for BACs of .20% to .249%, and quadruple for BACs of .25% or higher.
• Mandatory driver’s license revocation for 12 to 18 months. This can be increased if the driver refuses to submit to BAC testing. Revocation may be doubled if there was a passenger under 16 in the vehicle at the time of the stop.
• Ignition Interlock Device (IID). Once the driver's license has been reinstated or if the driver is granted a hardship license, an ignition interlock device (IID) will be installed and used for 24 to 36 months. This costs approximately $1,000 per year of service per vehicle and must be installed on all vehicles titled or registered in the driver’s name.
• Substance abuse treatment. All OWI convictions include mandatory substance abuse assessment within 72 hours of a conviction. The assessment results will be used to create a driver safety plan which can include treatment, OWI classes, or other rehab programs.

Drivers May Face Additional Consequences

The penalties listed above are only the legal penalties of a second offense OWI in Wisconsin. Drivers can face a number of other consequences for their actions if convicted. When combined these additional costs can add up to thousands of dollars. These include:

• The cost of drug and alcohol assessments and the subsequent driver safety plan.
• The cost of an occupational license and reapplication fees.
• Mandatory SR22 high-risk auto insurance costs.
• Higher life and health insurance rates.
• Lost time off work.
• Impound fees, and more.

Meet with an OWI Attorney in Wisconsin

The severity of the fines and penalties of a second offense OWI and the monetary costs of conviction make it clear that drivers who are facing such offenses need an experienced OWI attorney fighting for them. OWI attorneys will work hard to try and reduce your sentence, if not have the charges dismissed altogether.

If you are facing OWI charges in Wisconsin, contact the criminal defense attorneys at Eisenberg Law Offices. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators and trial attorneys, able to represent you through plea bargains or at trial. Schedule a free consultation by calling 608-256-8356 or info@eisenberglaw.org.

This post was originally posted at https://www.eisenberglaw.org/second-offense-owi-wisconsin-penalties/.