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 30, 2026.
Barron County, Wisconsin, has about 47,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Barron County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Barron 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: Barron County public records, Barron County arrest records, Barron County warrants, Barron County criminal records, Barron County court 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 Barron County
The Barron County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Rice Lake, Barron, Cumberland and Chetek make the OWI arrests in Barron County.
Together, the four agencies in Barron County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,006 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Barron County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Barron County
A driver arrested for OWI and kept in custody goes to the county jail, whichever agency made the arrest. The jail, run by the Barron County Sheriff's Office, held about 110 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Barron County Circuit Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at barroncountywi.gov/district-attorney, phone (715) 537-6220.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at barroncountywi.gov/clerk-of-circuit-court, phone 800-362-9082.
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 Barron County Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Barron County arrest records, Barron County police reports and Barron County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Wisconsin?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Barron County heard?
In the Barron County Circuit Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at barroncountywi.gov/clerk-of-circuit-court.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Barron County held?
At the county jail, run by the Barron 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 Barron County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.