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 25, 2026.
Waunakee, Wisconsin, in Dane County, has about 16,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Waunakee starts two cases, a criminal case in the Dane 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: Waunakee public records, Dane County OWI, Waunakee arrest records, Waunakee warrants, Waunakee inmate search, Waunakee 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 Waunakee
The Dane County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Waunakee (filed by the FBI as Waunakee Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Waunakee.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Dane County: the University of Wisconsin at Madison (campus police); the Capitol Police (state agency).
Together, the 17 agencies in Dane County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 15,821 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Dane County does not break OWI out.
The Edgerton Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Dane County, so its arrests are not broken out for Dane County here.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Waunakee
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Dane County Sheriff's Office, held about 620 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at danesheriff.com/Jail, phone (608) 266-4311. The Waunakee inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Dane County Circuit Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at da.danecounty.gov, phone (608) 266-9150.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at da.danecounty.gov/Court-Process/Records-and-Fines, phone (608) 266-4311.
Statewide, Wisconsin Circuit Court Access is the free statewide case search of every circuit court.
The License Case
The court case is only half the record. The Division of Motor Vehicles runs a separate administrative case over the license, which can suspend it before the criminal case is decided, and the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles keeps the driving record the conviction goes on.
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 Dane County Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Waunakee arrest records and Waunakee court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Wisconsin?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Waunakee heard?
In the Dane County Circuit Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at da.danecounty.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Waunakee held?
At the county jail, run by the Dane 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 Waunakee 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.