Minnesota DWI / public data
Choosing a DWI lawyer in Minnesota: records, deadlines and questions to ask
We won’t name one. No public record measures who is best, and anyone selling that label is selling something else. Here is what the state’s own data shows, how the charges work, and how to compare the lawyers you are considering.
- impaired-driving incidents a year, 2018 to 2022
- to ask a court to review a license revocation
- of implied-consent violations were a person's first (2023 report)
- law offices of every kind in Minnesota, unevenly spread
Draft for human review. Prepared by AI research from public records. No Minnesota lawyer has reviewed this page, including the statute summaries. Confirm anything important with a lawyer or at the source.
This site offers general information, not legal advice. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send us details of your legal situation.
Short answers
- Is there a best DWI lawyer in Minnesota?
- We do not name a best DWI lawyer. No public record measures who is best, and every case turns on its facts. Use the state's license and discipline records, then compare the lawyers you are considering with the first-meeting questions on this page.
- How long do I have to challenge a license revocation?
- The statutes give 60 days after receiving the notice and order of revocation to petition a court for review (Minn. Stat. 169A.53, subd. 2, or 171.177, subd. 11, depending on how the test was done). Filing does not by itself stop the revocation. The license case runs apart from the criminal charge. Deadlines have exceptions; ask a lawyer about your date.Statute text: Minn. Stat. 169A.53, Minn. Stat. 171.177
- How common are impaired-driving incidents in Minnesota?
- The state counted 123,479 impaired-driving incidents from 2018 to 2022. County figures on this page count where the incident happened, not where the person lives.
- What makes a DWI a felony in Minnesota?
- First-degree DWI is the felony level: up to 7 years, a $14,000 fine, or both (Minn. Stat. 169A.24). It applies within ten years of the first of three or more qualified prior incidents, or after a prior felony DWI or certain vehicular felonies. Mandatory penalties can also apply.Statute text: Minn. Stat. 169A.24, Minn. Stat. 169A.276
Why we won't call anyone best
Minnesota publishes no win rates by lawyer, and we could not get court records in bulk. A good outcome may also reflect the facts of the case more than the lawyer. So this page does not rank anyone. It sticks to what can be checked.
Records can tell you
- Whether a lawyer is licensed and in good standing.
- Whether a lawyer has public discipline on record.
- How the charge levels and license deadlines are written.
- How many incidents happen in a county, and how many law offices are there.
Records cannot tell you
- Who wins more often. No such public figure exists by lawyer.
- What a badge or “best of” list measured. Ask who chose, how, and whether anyone paid.
- How your case will end. Facts decide that, and nobody can promise it.
Impaired-driving incidents, county by county
123,479 incidents from 2018 to 2022, set against residents and law offices. Pick a county or tap the map.
Hennepin County
4.78
impaired-driving incidents a year per 1,000 residents 15 and older, 2018 to 2022
63rd highest of 87 counties. Minnesota overall: 5.34.
- Incidents a year
- 4,968.8
- Per law office
- 5.6
- Law offices
- 891
Counted where the incident happened. Highways, visitors and how heavily an area is patrolled all move this number, so it does not describe the people who live there.
All 87 counties, highest first
| County | Per 1,000 residents | Incidents a year | Per law office | Law offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mahnomen | 25.83 | 102.2 | None | 0 |
| Beltrami | 15.58 | 573.4 | 63.7 | 9 |
| Hubbard | 13.68 | 245.2 | 81.7 | 3 |
| Clearwater | 11.19 | 76.4 | None | 0 |
| Wilkin | 10.99 | 57.2 | None | 0 |
| Pipestone | 10.28 | 74.6 | None | 0 |
| Nobles | 9.90 | 166.2 | 20.8 | 8 |
| Pennington | 9.84 | 112.0 | 28.0 | 4 |
| Aitkin | 9.59 | 133.4 | 44.5 | 3 |
| Cass | 8.83 | 226.0 | 28.3 | 8 |
| Polk | 8.83 | 217.4 | 31.1 | 7 |
| Mower | 8.79 | 278.6 | 27.9 | 10 |
| Lake of the Woods | 8.76 | 28.2 | None | 0 |
| Itasca | 8.17 | 308.6 | 23.7 | 13 |
| Renville | 8.11 | 95.4 | None | 0 |
| Becker | 8.03 | 229.0 | 45.8 | 5 |
| Mille Lacs | 7.77 | 169.2 | 21.2 | 8 |
| Blue Earth | 7.74 | 448.2 | 19.5 | 23 |
| Douglas | 7.70 | 248.8 | 16.6 | 15 |
| Crow Wing | 7.51 | 418.4 | 17.4 | 24 |
| Carlton | 7.26 | 217.4 | 31.1 | 7 |
| St. Louis | 6.76 | 1,144.2 | 22.4 | 51 |
| Cottonwood | 6.66 | 60.4 | None | 0 |
| Red Lake | 6.58 | 20.6 | None | 0 |
| Goodhue | 6.44 | 252.0 | 28.0 | 9 |
| Jackson | 6.40 | 52.2 | 17.4 | 3 |
| Koochiching | 6.36 | 65.2 | None | 0 |
| Big Stone | 6.28 | 26.4 | None | 0 |
| Winona | 6.24 | 264.6 | 26.5 | 10 |
| Freeborn | 6.23 | 157.4 | 19.7 | 8 |
| Todd | 6.22 | 125.6 | 31.4 | 4 |
| Wadena | 6.14 | 68.4 | 17.1 | 4 |
| Yellow Medicine | 6.11 | 47.0 | None | 0 |
| Watonwan | 6.01 | 52.8 | 17.6 | 3 |
| Clay | 5.99 | 311.0 | 28.3 | 11 |
| Faribault | 5.98 | 68.4 | 22.8 | 3 |
| Otter Tail | 5.79 | 286.2 | 26.0 | 11 |
| Sibley | 5.79 | 70.2 | None | 0 |
| Wabasha | 5.76 | 101.6 | 20.3 | 5 |
| Roseau | 5.72 | 70.4 | 23.5 | 3 |
| Stearns | 5.70 | 731.4 | 14.6 | 50 |
| Pine | 5.69 | 141.4 | 23.6 | 6 |
| Steele | 5.69 | 170.6 | 24.4 | 7 |
| Chippewa | 5.61 | 55.8 | 18.6 | 3 |
| Benton | 5.54 | 180.6 | 45.2 | 4 |
| Cook | 5.53 | 27.2 | None | 0 |
| Houston | 5.36 | 82.8 | 20.7 | 4 |
| Grant | 5.35 | 26.4 | None | 0 |
| Martin | 5.25 | 85.0 | 17.0 | 5 |
| Sherburne | 5.19 | 404.8 | 45.0 | 9 |
| McLeod | 5.17 | 155.6 | 19.5 | 8 |
| Lac qui Parle | 5.16 | 28.4 | None | 0 |
| Redwood | 5.16 | 63.2 | 10.5 | 6 |
| Chisago | 5.15 | 241.2 | 26.8 | 9 |
| Ramsey | 5.11 | 2,240.2 | 8.5 | 265 |
| Meeker | 5.03 | 95.0 | 19.0 | 5 |
| Olmsted | 5.01 | 654.6 | 15.2 | 43 |
| Scott | 4.95 | 595.2 | 35.0 | 17 |
| Rice | 4.93 | 273.4 | 16.1 | 17 |
| Pope | 4.91 | 46.0 | 11.5 | 4 |
| Lyon | 4.89 | 97.6 | 16.3 | 6 |
| Dodge | 4.88 | 81.4 | 27.1 | 3 |
| Hennepin | 4.78 | 4,968.8 | 5.6 | 891 |
| Kandiyohi | 4.76 | 165.6 | 13.8 | 12 |
| Rock | 4.53 | 35.0 | 7.0 | 5 |
| Wright | 4.49 | 506.6 | 18.8 | 27 |
| Nicollet | 4.45 | 125.6 | 20.9 | 6 |
| Washington | 4.41 | 965.2 | 9.6 | 101 |
| Lincoln | 4.40 | 20.0 | None | 0 |
| Swift | 4.40 | 35.2 | 11.7 | 3 |
| Dakota | 4.34 | 1,537.4 | 11.6 | 132 |
| Anoka | 4.32 | 1,275.2 | 30.4 | 42 |
| Morrison | 4.31 | 119.0 | None | 0 |
| Lake | 4.17 | 38.4 | None | 0 |
| Marshall | 4.17 | 30.4 | None | 0 |
| Traverse | 4.11 | 11.0 | None | 0 |
| Waseca | 3.77 | 58.4 | 11.7 | 5 |
| Le Sueur | 3.70 | 86.8 | 28.9 | 3 |
| Norman | 3.60 | 18.8 | None | 0 |
| Kittson | 3.55 | 12.2 | None | 0 |
| Isanti | 3.31 | 112.2 | 14.0 | 8 |
| Brown | 3.15 | 66.4 | 7.4 | 9 |
| Kanabec | 3.13 | 42.2 | None | 0 |
| Stevens | 3.10 | 24.6 | None | 0 |
| Carver | 2.75 | 235.4 | 9.8 | 24 |
| Murray | 2.42 | 16.2 | 5.4 | 3 |
| Fillmore | 2.41 | 41.0 | 6.8 | 6 |
Counties with the fewest offices carry the most incidents per office
In counties with 1 to 4 law offices, there were 26.5 incidents a year for each office. In counties with 10 or more, there were 10. Another 1,122 incidents a year (4.5%) happened in the 24 counties with no reported office at all. These are offices of every kind, so treat this as a measure of how thin local choice can be, not a count of DWI lawyers.
- 1 to 4 offices17 counties, 6.1% of incidents26.5
- 5 to 9 offices25 counties, 17% of incidents24.2
- 10 or more offices21 counties, 72.3% of incidents10
Incidents a year per law office. Greater Minnesota: 23.5. Twin Cities metro: 8. Statewide: 12.2.
How the charge levels work
Minnesota sets the degree by counting aggravating factors and by whether a test was refused. This is a summary of the statute, not an assessment of any case.
First degree: felony, up to 7 years, a $14,000 fine, or both
Within ten years of the first of three or more qualified prior incidents, or after a prior felony DWI or certain vehicular felonies.
Fourth degree
Misdemeanor
Third degree
Gross misdemeanor
Second degree
Gross misdemeanor
Third degree
Gross misdemeanor
Second degree
Gross misdemeanor
Second degree
Gross misdemeanor
What counts as an aggravating factor
- A qualified prior incident within ten years. Each one counts separately, and license revocations can count as well as convictions.
- An alcohol concentration of 0.16 or more at the time, or within two hours.
- A child under 16 in the vehicle, if more than 36 months younger than the driver.
Maximum penalties by label
A misdemeanor carries up to 90 days, a $1,000 fine, or both. A gross misdemeanor carries up to 364 days, a $3,000 fine, or both. Other consequences, such as license limits and mandatory penalties, depend on the facts.
Minn. Stat. 169A.03, 169A.095, 169A.24 to 169A.27; 609.02 and 609.03 for the misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor limits.
The clock many people miss
60days
After receiving a notice and order of revocation, a person has 60 days to petition a court to review it. That license case runs apart from the criminal charge. Filing does not by itself stop the revocation, though a reviewing court may order a stay in some situations.
Minn. Stat. 169A.53, subd. 2, and 171.177, subd. 11. Which applies depends on how the test was done. Deadlines have exceptions; ask a lawyer about your date.
26,909 arrests in 2023, and a count that changed in 2018
The state’s count peaked at 42,000 in 2006. The method changed in 2018, from incidents on driver records to arrests in the eCharging system, so the two stretches should not be compared year to year. In 2023, 112 of 402 traffic deaths involved a driver or other person with any alcohol, by the state’s definition.
Show the numbers
| 2002 | 33,159 |
| 2003 | 32,352 |
| 2004 | 34,351 |
| 2005 | 37,073 |
| 2006 | 42,000 |
| 2007 | 38,760 |
| 2008 | 35,864 |
| 2009 | 32,994 |
| 2010 | 30,084 |
| 2011 | 29,479 |
| 2012 | 28,649 |
| 2013 | 26,014 |
| 2014 | 25,392 |
| 2015 | 25,374 |
| 2016 | 24,059 |
| 2017 | 24,862 |
| 2018 | 26,287 |
| 2019 | 27,474 |
| 2020 | 22,217 |
| 2021 | 23,952 |
| 2022 | 25,574 |
| 2023 | 26,909 |
Most arrests fall on weekends: 61% from Friday through Sunday, with a peak at 1 a.m. (2023 Crash Facts).
Most offenses are a first offense
Share of implied-consent violations by how many offenses the person had.
- 1 offense63.4%
- 2 offenses21.0%
- 3 to 514.6%
- 6 to 91.0%
- 10 or more0.1%
People with a later impaired-driving offense, by ignition interlock status, 2019 to 2023.
- While enrolled in IIDP42,930 people2.6%
- After graduation24,354 people8.5%
- Never enrolled in IIDP81,773 people10.9%
The Legislative Auditor says these gaps do not show that the program caused the difference, since people choose whether to enroll. In 2023, 15,768 of 33,445 eligible people (47%) were enrolled.
Conviction figures, and why not to shop by them
In 2023 the state reported 19,775 convictions against 26,917 arrests, a ratio of 73.5%. Districts range from 66.6% to 80.7%. This compares convictions to arrests as of the end of 2023, and the two do not always refer to the same cases: Polk County shows 108.1%. It says nothing about any lawyer, or what a person should expect.
- District 13,290 arrests76.4%
- District 22,361 arrests66.6%
- District 32,378 arrests71.9%
- District 45,055 arrests68.1%
- District 51,505 arrests80.7%
- District 61,609 arrests71.8%
- District 72,817 arrests75.9%
- District 8783 arrests77.5%
- District 92,626 arrests79.7%
- District 104,493 arrests74.1%
Questions for a first meeting
- How many Minnesota implied-consent petitions and DWI trials have you handled in the last two years?The license case and the criminal case are separate. Ask about both, in numbers.
- Do you regularly appear in the county where this happened?The tables here count incidents where they happened, which may not be where you live.
- Who tracks the 60-day petition date, and when will it be filed?Get the date in writing. Filing does not by itself pause the revocation.
- Is the fee flat? Does it cover the petition, the criminal case, and a trial?Many fee quotes differ on exactly this. Ask what would cost more and how your money is held.
- Who will actually stand up in court with me?The person you meet may not be the person who appears.
- What would you look at first, and what would change your advice?A useful answer names the evidence. Nobody can promise a result.
Lawyers to look up, A to Z
This is a starting list, not a recommendation, and A to Z is the only order. We included Minnesota lawyers on the state bar’s criminal law specialist registry or a national DWI certification list, plus lawyers whose own firm website names DWI defense. No one paid to be here, and we did not use best-lawyer lists or paid directories.
It is incomplete. The state bar’s registry stopped responding after one of its 24 pages, some firm sites blocked us, and we skipped anyone we could not match to one official record. Firm details are the firm’s own words.
- Adkins: Jay AdkinsRochesterGodwin AdkinsWhy listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Not stated on the pages we read.State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Archambault: Derek ArchambaultMinneapolisArchambault Criminal DefenseWhy listed: certification roster. First meeting, per firm: Free initial consultation (firm claim).State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Buchin: David BuchinSt. CloudBuchin Law OfficeWhy listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Free initial consultation (firm claim).State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Garvis: Andrew GarvisMinneapolisKoch & Garvis, LLCWhy listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Free consultation (firm claim).State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Keegan: David C. KeeganDuluthLaw Office of David C. KeeganWhy listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Not stated on the pages we read.State lawyer search: public decision listed, yes (open the entry for what the record lists). Checked 2026-11-06.
- Koewler: Daniel KoewlerRosevilleRamsay Law Firm, PLLCWhy listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Free consultation offered (firm-level).State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Poole: Andrew PooleDuluthAndrew & Poole, P.A.Why listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Free consultation (firm claim).State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Ramsay: Charles RamsayRosevilleRamsay Law Firm, PLLCWhy listed: certification roster. First meeting, per firm: Free consultation offered.State lawyer search: public decision listed, yes (open the entry for what the record lists). Checked 2026-11-06.
- Rolsch: Steve RolschRochesterRolsch Law OfficesWhy listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Initial consultation mentioned, cost not stated.State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
- Segal: Charles SegalBloomingtonSegal Defense, P.A.Why listed: firm site names DWI. First meeting, per firm: Free case evaluation (firm claim).State lawyer search: public decision listed, no. Checked 2026-11-06.
If you may not be able to afford a lawyer
A person charged with a crime that can bring jail time may ask the court about a public defender. Minnesota looks at means-tested benefits, or whether assets and income are enough to hire a lawyer (Minn. Stat. 611.17). The criminal defense page covers this.
Lawyer money and the state fund
$459,406
91 claims, criminal matters, the closest category
Minnesota’s Client Security Board repays clients when a lawyer dishonestly takes their money, up to $150,000 a claim. Since 1987 it has paid 741 claims totaling $8,971,093, tied to 212 lawyers. These counts have no denominator, so they are not a rate for this kind of law. The practical point: ask how your money will be held, and get the fee in writing.
Sources
- 2023 Minnesota Crash Facts, Department of Public Safety
- 2022 Crash Facts, Impaired Driving Facts (county incidents)
- Minnesota Statutes chapter 169A (2026)
- Minn. Stat. 171.177 (revocation under a search warrant)
- Office of the Legislative Auditor, ignition interlock audit
- Client Security Board 2026 annual report