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.
Wausau, Wisconsin, in Marathon County, has about 40,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Wausau starts two cases, a criminal case in the Marathon 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: Wausau public records, Marathon County OWI, Wausau arrest records, Wausau warrants, Wausau inmate search, Wausau criminal records, Wisconsin arrest records and Wisconsin inmate search.
The OWI Law in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin the offense is OWI, and the limit is 0.08.
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 Wausau
The Marathon County Sheriff's Office and the agency that reports for Wausau (filed by the FBI as Wausau Police Department) make the OWI arrests in and around Wausau.
Together, the five agencies in Marathon County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 3,488 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Marathon County does not break OWI out.
The Marshfield Police Department and the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department are each listed by the FBI across several counties including Marathon County, so their arrests are not broken out for Marathon County here.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Wausau
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Marathon County Sheriff's Office, held about 220 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at marathoncounty.gov/about-us/departments/sheriff-s-office, phone 715-261-1200. The Wausau inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
An OWI charge from Wausau is brought by the District Attorney in the Marathon County Circuit Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at marathoncounty.gov, phone 715-261-1111.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at marathoncounty.gov/services/public-safety-courts/circuit-court-reco..., phone 715-261-1300.
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 Marathon County Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Wausau arrest records, Wausau police reports and Wausau court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Wisconsin?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Wausau heard?
In the Marathon County Circuit Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at marathoncounty.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Wausau held?
At the county jail, run by the Marathon 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 Wausau 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.