If you hold a commercial driver’s license you are held to a higher standard every time you get behind the wheel, even in a personal vehicle on your day off. Federal motor-carrier rules under 49 CFR Part 383 operate independently of Wisconsin state penalties, and a resolution that protects a regular driver may still disqualify you commercially and cost you your job.
Federal stakes a regular driver never sees
Two serious traffic violations in a rolling three-year window trigger a 60-day CDL disqualification; three trigger 120 days (49 CFR § 383.51(c)). Major offenses (OWI at any BAC, refusing a chemical test, leaving the scene, using a vehicle to commit a felony) carry a one-year CDL disqualification on the first offense and a permanent lifetime ban on the second.
Speeding 15+ mph over, reckless driving, improper or erratic lane change, following too closely, hand-held phone use in a CMV, and any violation related to a fatal crash all count as serious. OWI at 0.04+ BAC in a commercial vehicle or 0.08+ in a personal vehicle is automatically major.
Why "masking" is prohibited and DPAs don't work for CDL drivers
Federal rule 49 CFR § 384.226 expressly prohibits any state from masking, deferring, or expunging a CDL-reportable conviction. That takes Wisconsin’s usual amend-to-non-moving or deferred-prosecution-agreement path off the table for CDL holders, even when the state court is willing.
A plea or DPA that looks like a win on paper can still report back to the Commercial Driver’s License Information System (CDLIS) as a conviction for disqualification purposes, defeating the entire point of the deal. Real resolution requires an actual amendment or dismissal, not a procedural deferral a prosecutor or judge is offering in good faith but can’t deliver for a CDL.
Notification duties and interstate reporting
Under 49 CFR § 383.31(b), a CDL holder who is convicted of a traffic-control violation in any type of vehicle (parking excepted) must notify their current employer in writing within 30 days of the conviction. Under § 383.31(a), an out-of-state conviction also has to be reported to the licensing state within 30 days. This is a federal rule, and it runs from the conviction, not from the day the ticket is written.
Out-of-state does not mean out of reach. WisDOT states that a conviction from another state is entered on the Wisconsin driver record even though no Wisconsin demerit points are assessed for it, and that "Wisconsin will also take action on any out-of-state convictions requiring disqualification of the commercial operating privilege." The federal disqualification schedule in 49 CFR § 383.51 counts each conviction from a separate incident, whether committed in a CMV or a non-CMV.
Should CDL drivers hire a ticket lawyer?
Almost always. CDL consequences are not limited to Wisconsin points. A personal-vehicle ticket can still count as a serious traffic violation, and two qualifying violations can put the commercial license out of service.
- The ticket alleges speeding 15 mph or more over the limit.
- The violation involves reckless driving, unsafe lane change, following too closely, or handheld phone use.
- Your employer, carrier, or insurer requires immediate reporting.
What a cdl drivers conviction costs in Wisconsin
- Serious-violation schedule
- 2 in 3 yrs → 60 days · 3 → 120 days Speeding 15+ over, reckless, improper lane change, following too close, hand-held in CMV (49 CFR § 383.51(c))
- Major-offense schedule
- 1st → 1 year · 2nd → lifetime OWI at any BAC, test refusal, leaving the scene, vehicle-felony (49 CFR § 383.51(b))
- Masking prohibition
- 49 CFR § 384.226 Wisconsin DPA / amend-to-non-moving paths not available. Resolution must be actual amendment or dismissal
- Employer notification
- 30 days from conviction Required under 49 CFR § 383.31(b) after a conviction in any type of vehicle, parking excepted. Section 383.31(a) adds a 30-day duty to notify the licensing state for an out-of-state conviction
- Commercial insurance
- Carrier-specific; commercial policies review MVRs closely Major violations often force placement in high-risk markets at multiple thousands more per year
- Interstate reporting
- CDLIS · 49 CFR § 383.51(a)(4) Each conviction from a separate incident counts toward disqualification "whether committed in a CMV or non-CMV," and WisDOT acts on out-of-state convictions requiring commercial disqualification
Our cdl drivers defense playbook
Negotiate to a non-disqualifying amendment, not masking
Because 49 CFR § 384.226 invalidates "masking" deals for CDL purposes, the negotiation has to target an actual statutory amendment (to a non-CDL-serious charge) not a procedural deferral. We work prosecutors who understand the distinction; many do not.
Federal-rules literacy in the plea structure
Every plea offer for a CDL holder gets run through the 49 CFR § 383.51 schedule before we accept it. What looks like a generous state-law reduction can still be a disqualifying federal-law conviction, and the state court isn't the one enforcing the federal rule.
Out-of-state mitigation via CDLIS knowledge
A conviction in Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, or anywhere else counts under 49 CFR § 383.51(a)(4), which tallies each conviction from a separate incident whether it happened in a commercial vehicle or a personal one. For out-of-state citations we negotiate directly with the originating jurisdiction (often through local counsel) because the disposition there is what reaches the CDLIS record, not the state where you hold the license.
Employer-notification triage
Within 30 days of a conviction, a CDL holder must notify their current employer in writing under 49 CFR § 383.31(b), and must notify the licensing state under § 383.31(a) if the conviction was out of state. We help you document that notification correctly (employers often have specific forms) so the notification itself does not become a collateral violation.
Administrative review and FMCSA findings
If you've already received a disqualification notice from the Wisconsin DMV, there's an administrative-review window to challenge the finding. Grounds include reporting errors, misidentified vehicle class, and calculation errors in the rolling three-year window. The window is short, usually 10 business days from notice.
Racine, Kenosha & Walworth county courts
CDL cases are heard in the court where the citation was written. Municipal court for city or village police stops, county circuit court for sheriff or Wisconsin State Patrol citations, and county circuit court for any criminal companion charge. The CDL disqualification itself is administered separately by the Wisconsin DMV based on the court disposition.
Our attorneys appear regularly in Racine County Circuit Court (730 Wisconsin Ave., Racine), Kenosha County Courthouse (912 56th Street, Kenosha), Walworth County Judicial Center (1800 County Road NN, Elkhorn), and the municipal courts of Racine, Mt. Pleasant, Caledonia, Sturtevant, Kenosha, Pleasant Prairie, Lake Geneva, Delavan, Burlington, and Union Grove. For out-of-state citations we coordinate local counsel so the reporting to Wisconsin reflects the best-available disposition under that state's law.
Traffic-ticket outcomes depend on what we can protect
For cdl drivers cases, the defense target is usually one of four things: points, insurance premiums, license status, or a criminal/CDL consequence hidden behind the citation.
See the traffic-ticket case-results hub for anonymized examples and related service links. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome on any individual case.
The municipal-court judges who hear most cdl drivers cases
Most ordinance-level traffic citations are heard at the municipal-court level, not circuit court. Below are the currently sitting municipal court judges across our 3-county service area, verified against each municipality's own court page or the county's official roster. The list omits 3 municipalities (Caledonia, Whitewater, Sturtevant) where we are still re-verifying the current judge by phone before publishing.
Racine County municipal courts
- City of Racine Hon. Rob Weber City of Racine notice identifies Judge Rob Weber as the sole, uncontested municipal-judge candidate on the April 7, 2026 ballot. The City court page does not separately name the sitting judge. verify source →
- Village of Mount Pleasant Hon. Michael R. Phegley verify source →
- City of Burlington Hon. Kelly Iselin City Directory lists Kelly Iselin as Municipal Judge; confirmed again in the City of Burlington Spring 2026 newsletter. verify source →
- Village of Caledonia Hon. Robert Keller Village of Caledonia court page lists Robert Keller as Municipal Court Judge. verify source →
- Village of Sturtevant Hon. Robert Niemiec Village of Sturtevant court page lists Robert Niemiec as Judge. verify source →
- Village of Union Grove Hon. Scott Kasprowicz Term 2025-2027 (special election after Judge Reichert retired Dec 2024). verify source →
- Village of Waterford Hon. Robert J. Jones Village court; the Town of Waterford has a separate court with a different judge. verify source →
Kenosha County municipal courts
- City of Kenosha Hon. Michael Easton City Municipal Court records form lists Judge Michael Easton and the court contact information. The form is undated, so this entry rests on thinner support than the rest of the roster. verify source →
- Village of Pleasant Prairie Hon. Richard Alan Ginkowski Village court page lists Richard Alan Ginkowski as Municipal Judge. verify source →
- Village of Twin Lakes Hon. Bruce Goodnough Shared court covering Village of Twin Lakes + Town of Randall Village court page: "Judge Bruce Goodnough was first elected as Municipal Judge in 1989." verify source →
- Village of Salem Lakes Hon. Patrick Dunn verify source →
- Village and Town of Somers Hon. Edward Antaramian Consolidated court serving both the Village and the Town of Somers. Somers states that Judge Antaramian was appointed interim municipal judge in March 2026 over the consolidated Municipal Courts of the Village and Town of Somers, and will serve until April 2027. Published as interim rather than elected because that is what the Village says. verify source →
Walworth County municipal courts
- City of Lake Geneva Hon. Henry A. Sibbing City of Lake Geneva court page lists Henry A. Sibbing as Municipal Judge. verify source →
- City of Elkhorn Hon. Lori Domino City of Elkhorn court page lists Municipal Judge Lori Domino. verify source →
- City of Delavan Hon. Mike Rhyner City court. The Town of Delavan runs a separate municipal court with its own judge; confirm which court is named on your citation. verify source →
- Village of Fontana Hon. Thomas Sullivan verify source →
- Village of East Troy Hon. Michael P. Cotter Confirmed on the village court page and on the Walworth County municipal-judges roster. The Town of East Troy runs a separate municipal court. verify source →
Who hears cdl drivers cases in our service area
CDL Drivers cases prosecuted at the criminal level (not municipal-court ordinance) are heard at the county circuit court level. Below are the currently sitting circuit court judges and elected District Attorneys for each of the three counties we serve. Source metadata now feeds a monthly re-check so the roster on this page stays accurate without adding duplicate date stamps.
Racine County
District Attorney: Tricia Hanson DA source →
Sitting circuit court judges (9):
- Hon. Wynne P. Laufenberg · Branch 1 · Chief Judge
- Hon. Eugene A. Gasiorkiewicz · Branch 2
- Hon. Jessica E.H. Lynott · Branch 3
- Hon. Scott P. Craig · Branch 4
- Hon. David W. Paulson · Branch 6
- Hon. Jamie M. McClendon · Branch 7
- Hon. Faye M. Flancher · Branch 8
- Hon. Robert S. Repischak · Branch 9
- Hon. Timothy D. Boyle · Branch 10
Kenosha County
District Attorney: Xavier Solis DA source →
Sitting circuit court judges (8):
- Hon. Gerad T. Dougvillo · Branch 1
- Hon. Jason A. Rossell · Branch 2
- Hon. Heather Iverson · Branch 3
- Hon. David O. Hughes · Branch 4
- Hon. David P. Wilk · Branch 5
- Hon. Angelina Gabriele · Branch 6
- Hon. Jodi L. Meier · Branch 7
- Hon. Chad G. Kerkman · Branch 8
Walworth County
District Attorney: Zeke Wiedenfeld DA source →
Sitting circuit court judges (4):
- Hon. Estee E. Scholtz · Branch 1
- Hon. Daniel S. Johnson · Branch 2
- Hon. Kristine E. Drettwan · Branch 3
- Hon. Samuel T. Berg · Branch 4
CDL Drivers enforcement and traffic-stop volume by county
Verified statistics from official Wisconsin and county sources.