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 October 9, 2026.
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, in Jefferson County, has about 12,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Fort Atkinson starts two cases, a criminal case in the Jefferson 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: Fort Atkinson public records, Jefferson County OWI, Fort Atkinson arrest records, Fort Atkinson warrants, Fort Atkinson inmate search, Fort Atkinson 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 Fort Atkinson
The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Fort Atkinson (filed by the FBI as Fort Atkinson Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Fort Atkinson.
Together, the seven agencies in Jefferson County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 2,876 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Jefferson County does not break OWI out.
The Whitewater Police Department and the Village of Lac La Belle Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Jefferson County, so their arrests are not broken out for Jefferson County here.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Fort Atkinson
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, held about 110 people on an average day in 2024 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at jeffersoncountywi.gov/sheriff_br_law_enforcement___public_safety/ja..., phone 920-674-7310. The Fort Atkinson inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Jefferson County Circuit Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at jeffersoncountywi.gov, phone 920-674-7220.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jeffersoncountywi.gov/courts___legal_services/criminal_court/index.php, phone 920-674-7153.
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 Jefferson County Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Fort Atkinson arrest records, Fort Atkinson police reports and Fort Atkinson court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Wisconsin?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Fort Atkinson heard?
In the Jefferson County Circuit Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jeffersoncountywi.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Fort Atkinson held?
At the county jail, run by the Jefferson 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 Fort Atkinson 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.