Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
Altoona, Wisconsin, in Eau Claire County, has about 9,300 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Altoona starts two cases, a criminal case in the Eau Claire County Circuit Court and a license case before the Division of Motor Vehicles, and leaves three records. This guide follows the arrest from the roadside to the court file and the driving record.
This guide covers the law, the arrest, booking, the court case, the license case, the records and common questions.
Related guides: Altoona public records, Eau Claire County OWI, Altoona arrest records, Altoona warrants, Altoona inmate search, Altoona criminal records, Wisconsin arrest records and Wisconsin inmate search.
The OWI Law in Wisconsin
Drunk driving is charged as OWI in Wisconsin, at a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or more.
Driving in Wisconsin is consent to a breath or blood test when an officer has cause to suspect OWI; the license case that follows a refusal or a failed test is run by the Division of Motor Vehicles, separately from the criminal case.
Wisconsin sets no time limit on prior offenses: every earlier conviction counts toward a repeat charge.
Who Makes OWI Arrests in Altoona
The Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Altoona (filed by the FBI as Altoona Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Altoona.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Eau Claire County: the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire (campus police).
Together, the four agencies in Eau Claire County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 5,213 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Eau Claire County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Altoona
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office, held about 190 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a custody page SearchSystems verified at eauclairecounty.gov/departments/sheriff/inmate_listing, phone 715-839-4707. The Altoona inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Eau Claire County Circuit Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at eauclairecounty.gov, phone 715-839-4828.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at eauclairecounty.gov/departments/clerk_of_courts/search_and_copy_req..., phone 715-839-4816.
Statewide, Wisconsin Circuit Court Access is the free statewide case search of every circuit court.
The License Case
An OWI arrest starts two cases: the criminal one above and an administrative one over the license, run by the Division of Motor Vehicles. The driving record, kept by the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles, carries the result of both.
The Records an OWI Leaves
- The arrest report: from the agency that made the arrest, under the Wisconsin Public Records Law.
- The court file: from the Eau Claire County Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Altoona arrest records, Altoona police reports and Altoona court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Wisconsin?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Altoona heard?
In the Eau Claire County Circuit Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at eauclairecounty.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Altoona held?
At the county jail, run by the Eau Claire County Sheriff's Office, if kept in custody.
Who handles the license after an OWI arrest in Wisconsin?
The Division of Motor Vehicles, in an administrative case separate from the court case.
How long does an OWI count as a prior in Wisconsin?
There is no time limit; every prior conviction counts.
Is this the official Altoona website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.