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.
Waupaca County, Wisconsin, has about 51,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). An OWI arrest in Waupaca County starts two cases, a criminal case in the Waupaca 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: Waupaca County public records, Waupaca County arrest records, Waupaca County warrants, Waupaca County inmate search, Waupaca County 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 Waupaca County
The Waupaca County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for New London, Waupaca, Clintonville, Manawa and Marion make the OWI arrests in Waupaca County.
Together, the three agencies in Waupaca County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 1,208 arrests to the FBI that year, all offenses together; the FBI's count for Waupaca County does not break OWI out.
Booking After an OWI Arrest in Waupaca 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 Waupaca County Sheriff's Office, held about 160 people on an average day in 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice's count and has a jail page SearchSystems verified at waupacacounty-wi.gov/departments/sheriff_s_department/index.php, phone 888-944-8463. The Waupaca County inmate search guide covers the jail in full.
The Court Case
The District Attorney files the charge, and the case is heard in the Waupaca County Circuit Court.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at waupacacounty-wi.gov, phone (715) 258-6444.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at waupacacounty-wi.gov/departments/government_departments/clerk_of_co..., phone 888-604-7888.
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 Waupaca County Circuit Court, kept by the Clerk of Circuit Court.
- The driving record: from the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles.
More on each: Waupaca County arrest records, Waupaca County police reports and Waupaca County court records.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the OWI limit in Wisconsin?
0.08 percent blood alcohol.
Where is an OWI case from Waupaca County heard?
In the Waupaca County Circuit Court, brought by the District Attorney. The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at waupacacounty-wi.gov.
Where is a person arrested for OWI in Waupaca County held?
At the county jail, run by the Waupaca 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 Waupaca 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.