Chapter 343 — OPERATORS’ LICENSES

343.01 Words and phrases defined. (1) Words and phrases defined in s. 340.01 are used in the same sense in this chapter unless a different definition is specifically provided. (2) In this chapter and ch. 344 the following words and phrases have the designated meanings: (cb) “Moto…

343.02 Administration of driver license law. (1) The department shall administer and enforce this chapter and may promulgate for that purpose such rules as the secretary considers necessary. Rules promulgated under this chapter may not conflict with and shall be at least as strin…

343.025 Medicare acceptance of assignment; information; report. (2) Beginning in 1991, the department shall annually submit a report to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) concerning the numbers of individuals, …

343.027 Confidentiality of signatures. Any signature collected under this chapter may be maintained by the department and shall be kept confidential, except that the department shall release a signature or a facsimile of a signature to the department of revenue for the purposes o…

343.03 Classified driver license system. (1) COMPLIANCE WITH FEDERAL STANDARDS. (a) The department shall institute a classified driver license system meeting all federal standards under 49 USC 30304 (e) and 31301 to 31317 and 49 CFR 383 and 384. (b) The department shall issue ope…

343.04 Vehicle classifications. (1) VEHICLE CLASSES. For purposes of this chapter, motor vehicles are divided into the following classes: (a) Class A. A “Class A” motor vehicle is any combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating, actual gross weight or registered we…

343.05 Operators to be licensed; exceptions. (1) GENERAL PROVISIONS. (a) Except as provided in this subsection, no person may at any time have more than one operator’s license. This prohibition includes, without limitation, having licenses from more than one state, having license…

343.055 Commercial driver license waivers. (1) OPERATORS WAIVED. (a) General. Except as provided in subs. (3) and (4) and notwithstanding s. 343.05 (2), operators of certain commercial motor vehicles specified in pars. (b) to (h) or any rule of the department promulgated under su…

343.06 Persons not to be licensed. (1) The department shall not issue a license: (a) To any person whose operator’s license or nonresident’s operating privilege was withheld, suspended, revoked or canceled under the provisions of the law in effect prior to September 1, 1941, unle…

343.065 Restricted commercial driver license. (1) (a) If an applicant for a commercial driver license is less than 21 years of age or does not meet the physical qualifications for drivers contained in 49 CFR 391 or an alternative federally approved driver qualification program es…

343.07 (1g). The department shall not issue a license to any person under the age of 18 authorizing the operation of “Class M” vehicles unless the person has successfully completed a basic rider course approved by the Wisconsin department of transportation motorcycle safety progr…

343.075 Instructional permits for applicants for special restricted operators’ licenses. The department may require an applicant for a special restricted operator’s license under s. 343.135 to first obtain an instructional permit if the department deems it advisable. The departme…

343.08 Restricted licenses for persons under 18 years of age. (1) Upon application therefor, the department may issue a restricted license to a person who is at least 14 and less than 18 years of age if the following conditions, in addition to any others specified in this chapter…

343.085 Probationary licenses to new drivers. (1) (a) Except as provided in par. (b) and sub. (2), the department shall issue a probationary license to all applicants for an original license. The probationary license shall remain in effect as provided in s. 343.20 (1) (a). (b) Th…

343.10 at any time. 3. Except as provided in subd. 4m., if the number of convictions under ss. 940.09 (1) and 940.25 in the person’s lifetime, plus the total number of suspensions, revocations, and other convictions counted under s. 343.307 (1) within a 10-year period, equals 2, …

343.11 Temporary license for persons previously licensed in another state. (1) The department shall not issue a license to a person previously licensed in another jurisdiction unless such person surrenders to the department all valid operator’s licenses possessed by the person is…

343.12 School bus operators to obtain special authorization. (1) (a) No person shall operate a school bus without having first applied for and received authorization from the department in the form of a school bus endorsement to the person’s valid operator’s license. (b) A motor …

343.125 Endorsements for transporting certain hazardous materials. (1) In this section, ““H” endorsement” means an endorsement specified in s. 343.17 (3) (d) 1m. (2) The department may not issue or renew an “H” endorsement to a commercial driver license unless all of the followin…

343.13 Restricted licenses. (1) The department upon issuing any license pursuant to this chapter may, whenever good cause appears, impose restrictions suitable to the licensee’s operating ability with respect to the type of or special mechanical control devices required on a moto…

343.135 shall be labeled “Special Restricted License” or a readily recognizable abbreviation thereof. The license may authorize the operation of only “Class D” vehicles and may not be endorsed to permit operation of the vehicle types described in s. 343.04 (2). The license may be…

343.14 (2j), and 343.237 (2), the department shall, upon request, provide to the commercial driver license information system and the driver licensing agencies of other jurisdictions any applicant or driver record information maintained by the department of transportation, includ…

343.15 Application of persons under 18; liability of sponsors; release from liability; notification of juvenile violation. (1) (a) Except as provided in sub. (4), the application of any person under 18 years of age for a license shall be signed and verified by either of the appli…

343.16 (6) (b), or 343.305 (8) (a), each operator’s license issued by the department shall be in one of the following categories with a descriptive legend displayed on the top front side of the license document: (a) Regular license. The standard license legend is “regular” or a r…

343.165 (7), the receipt shall include the marking specified in s. 343.03 (3r). History: 1971 c. 204; 1975 c. 64; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (a); 1977 c. 273; 1989 a. 105; 2003 a. 221; 2005 a. 451; 2007 a. 1; 2011 a. 23, 32; 2015 a. 118.

343.17 Contents and issuance of operator’s license. (1) LICENSE ISSUANCE. Subject to s. 343.165, the department shall issue an operator’s license and endorsements, as applied for, to every qualifying applicant who has paid the required fees. (2) LICENSE DOCUMENT. The license shal…

343.175 Organ donor information. (1) DEPARTMENT TO SOLICIT AND RECORD INFORMATION. As part of every application for an original, duplicate, reinstated, reissued or renewal license or endorsement, the department shall inquire whether the applicant desires to be an organ donor. The…

343.177 Emergency contact information. As part of every application for an original, duplicate, reinstated, reissued, or renewal license or endorsement, the department shall inquire whether the applicant wants to provide emergency contact information, which shall include the emer…

343.18 License to be carried; verification of signature. (1) Every licensee shall have his or her license document in his or her immediate possession at all times when operating a motor vehicle and shall display the license document upon demand from any judge, justice, or traffic…

343.19 Duplicate licenses or identification cards. (1) If a license issued under this chapter or an identification card issued under s. 343.50 is lost or destroyed or the name or address named in the license or identification card is changed or the condition specified in s. 343.1…

343.20 (1m) or 343.50 (5) (c) at other than an 8-year interval, the department may determine whether the applicant’s photograph is to be taken, or if the renewal is for a license the applicant is to be examined, or both, at the time of such renewal, so long as the applicant’s pho…

343.21 License fees. (1) The following fees, in addition to any driving skills test fee, shall be paid to the department for the issuance, renewal, upgrading and reinstatement of licenses, endorsements and instruction permits: (a) $32.50 for the initial issuance or renewal of a l…

343.22 Notice of change of address or name. (2) Whenever any person, after applying for or receiving a license under this chapter, or an identification card under s. 343.50, moves from the address named in the application or in the license or identification card issued to him or …

343.23 (2) (a) the date on which the operator’s record check under subd. 1. was performed. (6) RELEASE OF RECORDS. (a) Notwithstanding ss. 343.027,

343.234 Department to furnish information to the selective service system. Notwithstanding any other provision in this chapter, the department shall forward to the selective service system, in electronic format, any information on an application for a driver’s license, permit, or…

343.235 Access to license and identification card records. (1) In this section: (a) “Agent” means an authorized person who acts on behalf of or at the direction of another person. (b) “Insurer” has the meaning given in s. 600.03 (27). (c) “Personal identifier” has the meaning giv…

343.237 Access to license and identification card photographs and fingerprints. (1) In this section: (ag) “Federal law enforcement agency” means a governmental unit of one or more persons employed by the federal government for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime and enf…

343.24 Department to furnish operating record. (1) The department shall upon request furnish any person an abstract of the operating record of any person. The abstract shall be certified if certification is requested. Such abstract is not admissible May 22, 2026, are designated b…

343.245 Duties of commercial motor vehicle drivers; employer responsibilities; penalties. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Employee” means any operator of a commercial motor vehicle who is either directly employed by or under lease to an employer, including a full-time, reg…

343.247 Employer notification program. (1) In this section: (a) “Employee” has the meaning given in s. 343.245 (1) (a) and also includes any person whose employment responsibilities include the operation of any motor vehicle. (b) “Employer” has the meaning given in s. 343.245 (1)…

343.25 Cancellation of licenses. The secretary shall cancel a license: (1) Whenever the secretary determines that the license or endorsement was issued upon an application which contains a false statement as to any material matter; or (2) Within 10 days after receiving a written …

343.26 License after cancellation. (1) Except as provided in sub. (2), any person whose license has been canceled, whether the license has been canceled by the secretary or stands canceled as a matter of law, may apply for a new license at any time. Upon receipt of the applicatio…

343.265 Voluntary surrender and reissuance after surrender. (1) The department may accept the voluntary surrender of the operator’s license of a person who has a mental or physical disability or disease or a medical condition which pre- May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Pub…

343.28 Courts to report convictions and forward licenses to the department. (1) Whenever a person is convicted of a moving traffic violation under chs. 341 to 349 or under a local ordinance enacted under ch. 349, the clerk of the court in which the conviction occurred, or the jus…

343.30 (6) (a) and suspensions and revocations under s. 343.30 (6). The department may purge the record of any such conviction 24 months after it is reported. (b) The department record of a person’s conviction for exceeding a posted speed limit shall include the number of miles p…

343.301 (1g) (am) 2. while the applicant is participating in a program designated in the order, unless he or she is also subject to an order under s. 343.301 (1g) (am) 1. (b) Limitations. Occupational licenses are subject to the limitations specified in ss. 343.30 (1q) (b) and (h…

343.303 Preliminary screening test. If a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that the person is violating or has violated s. 346.63 (1) or (2m) or a local ordinance in conformity therewith, or s. 346.63 (2) or (6) or 940.25 or s. 940.09 where the offense involve…

343.305 (10) for refusal to submit to chemical testing or has been convicted in another jurisdiction or had his or her operating privilege in another jurisdiction suspended or revoked under any law of that jurisdiction prohibiting refusal of chemical testing that is comparable to…

343.307 (1), that conviction, suspension or revocation shall count as a prior conviction, suspension or revocation under this subdivision. 2. Except as provided in sub. (1r) or subd. 3., 4. or 4m., for the first conviction, the court shall revoke the person’s operating privilege …

343.31 Revocation or suspension of licenses after certain convictions or declarations. (1) The department shall revoke a person’s operating privilege upon receiving a record of conviction showing that the person has been convicted of any of the following offenses under a state la…

343.315 Commercial motor vehicle disqualifications; effects. (1g) DEFINITION. In this section, “engaged in commercial motor vehicle-related activities” means all of the following: (a) Operating or using a commercial motor vehicle. (b) Operating or using any motor vehicle on or af…