Wisconsin Alcohol Related Laws and Regulations

Where to Buy Alcohol
Convenience and grocery stores carry beer and wine to be sold, while spirits are only sold in private liquor stores. Alcohol can be sold in retail stores any day of the week from 8  a.m. to 9 p.m. The hours that bars and restaurants can serve alcohol are governed by local ordinances.

Legal Age for Drinking/Serving Alcohol
If a person is under 21 years of age but is being supervised by their parent(s), that individual may consume alcohol in a bar or restaurant. However, without that supervision, a person must be 21 to drink alcohol. After 18 years of age, a person may serve in a restaurant that sells alcohol, work as a bartender, or sell spirits, wine, or beer.

Open Container Laws
If a bottle of alcohol has been previously opened, it must be carried in the trunk of a vehicle so the driver and passengers do not have access.

BAC Limits
A driver is considered ‘per se intoxicated’ if they have a blood-alcohol content (BAC) level of .08 percent or above. If the person is driving under the influence (DUI), the state doesn’t need any further evidence to prosecute them than the test result.

In Wisconsin, there are no enhanced penalties for excessive BAC.

Under the ‘zero tolerance laws,’ if a driver under the age of 21 has a BAC level of anything over .00 percent, they may be charged with DUI penalties.

Penalties
Drivers suspected of intoxication must comply with breath, blood, or urine testing under the ‘implied consent laws.’ If they refuse, they face a penalty of having their license suspended for up to one year.

With a DUI conviction, the suspension of a driver’s license by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is required. For the first offense, the suspension is six months, one year for the second offense, and two years for the third offense.

A person may have their vehicle confiscated temporarily or permanently for a DUI conviction with the third offense.

When a driver is convicted of DUI, the courts may impose the installation of an ignition interlock device at the driver’s expense.

Treatment for alcohol abuse and alcohol education can be required in limited circumstances in Wisconsin.

After the fifth conviction, DUI is considered a felony, and then only if significant bodily injury occurs.