By Carlos Gamino

If you’re like many people, you know that the legal limit for drinking and driving in Wisconsin is 0.08 – that means if your blood-alcohol or breath-alcohol concentration is 8 percent, you’re likely to be hauled off to jail and charged with operating while intoxicated, or OWI. But the law is a little more detailed than that, so here’s what you need to know.

Wisconsin’s legal limit for most people is 0.08. However, if you have three or more prior OWI convictions, your legal limit is 0.02. And if you’re under the age of 21, you have to be completely sober – any alcohol in your system can earn you an OWI charge.

Related: 3 ways to get an OWI dismissed in Wisconsin

Generally, your body weight and biological sex have a lot to do with how alcohol concentrates in your body. The following tables outline about how many drinks you can have in one hour; a drink is classified as one beer, one shot of alcohol, or one glass of wine. Keep in mind that a shot of tequila and a Long Island iced tea contain vastly different amounts of alcohol – and remember, these are estimates and not exact measurements.

Table 1: Alcohol Chart for Men

Bolded numbers are over the legal limit.

Body Weight1 drink2 drinks3 drinks4 drinks5 drinks6 drinks
120 lbs..031.063.094.125.156.188
130 lbs..029.058.087.116.145.174
140 lbs..027.054.080.107.134.161
150 lbs..025.050.075.100.125.151
160 lbs..023.047.070.094.117.141
170 lbs..022.045.066.088.110.132
180 lbs..021.042.063.083.104.125
190 lbs..020.040.059.079.099.119
200 lbs..019.038.056.075.094.113
210 lbs..018.036.053.071.090.107
220 lbs..017.034.051.068.085.102

Table 2: Alcohol Chart for Women

Bolded numbers are over the legal limit.

Body Weight1 drink2 drinks3 drinks4 drinks5 drinks6 drinks
90 lbs..053.106.159.212.265.318
100 lbs..047.094.141.188.235.282
110 lbs..042.084.126.168.210.252
120 lbs..038.076.114.152.190.228
130 lbs..036.072.108.144.180.216
140 lbs..033.066.099.132.165.198
150 lbs..031.062.093.124.155.186
160 lbs..028.056.084.112.140.168
170 lbs..027.054.081.108.135.162
180 lbs..026.052.078.104.130.156

Do You Need to Talk to an Attorney About OWI Charges?

If you’ve been accused of operating while intoxicated, we may be able to help you. Call our office as soon as you can – we’re at 414-383-6700. You can schedule your free consultation with an experienced professional to get the legal advice you need.

Attorney Carlos Gamino