Chapter 349, VEHICLES — POWERS OF STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES

349.01 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: (b) “Chauffeur” means a person employed full time or on a regular basis, including …

349.015 Applicability of chapter to electric scooters and electric personal assistive mobility devices. An electric scooter and an electric personal assistive mobility device shall be considered a vehicle for purposes of this chapter, except those provisions which by their expres…

349.02 Police and traffic officers to enforce law. (1) It is the duty of the police, sheriff’s and traffic departments of every unit of government and each authorized department of the state to enforce chs. 346 to 348 and 350. Police officers, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs and traffi…

349.025 Quotas relating to the enforcement of traffic regulations prohibited. (1) In this section: (a) “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c). (c) “State agency” means an office, commission, department or independent agency in the executive branch of…

349.03 Regulation by local authorities forbidden; exceptions. (1) Chapters 341 to 348 and 350 shall be uniform in operation throughout the state. No local authority may enact or enforce any traffic regulation unless such regulation: (a) Is not contrary to or inconsistent with chs…

349.04 Truck driver education surcharges. (1) If a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for a violation of a provision of chs. 346 to 348 or a rule issued under chs. 346 to 348 and the violation involved a commercial motor vehicle, the court shall impose under ch. 814 a truck drive…

349.06 Authority to adopt traffic regulations in strict conformity with state law. (1) (a) Except for the suspension or revocation of motor vehicle operator’s licenses or except as provided in par. (b), any local authority may enact and enforce any traffic regulation which is in …

349.065 Uniform traffic control devices. Local authorities shall place and maintain traffic control devices upon highways under their jurisdiction to regulate, warn, guide or inform traffic. The design, installation and operation or use of new traffic control devices placed and m…

349.07 Authority to designate through highways. (1) The department may, when it deems it necessary for the public safety, by order declare any state trunk highway or connecting highway or portion thereof to be a through highway. (2) Every county highway committee may, when it dee…

349.08 Cost of signs and traffic control signals. The department may, when requested, furnish official traffic control devices and highway paint at cost to any local authority. History: 1975 c. 23, 48, 237, 239, 367, 422; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (3), (8) (a); 1977 c. 116. History: 197…

349.085 Authority to install stop signs at railroad grade crossings. Local authorities may, by ordinance, when they deem it necessary for the public safety, install official stop signs at public traveled railroad grade crossings on highways maintained by the respective authoritie…

349.09 Authority to remove prohibited signs or signals. Every sign, signal, pavement marking, or device which is placed, maintained, or displayed in violation of s. 346.41 is declared to be a public nuisance. The authority in charge of maintenance of the highway in question may n…

349.10 Authority to designate one-way highways, safety zones, turns and lanes. (1) The department, county highway committees and local authorities in regard to highways under their respective jurisdictions, may: (a) Declare by order, ordinance or resolution and designate by appro…

349.105 Authority to prohibit certain traffic on expressways and freeways. The authority in charge of maintenance of an expressway or freeway may, by order, ordinance or resolution, prohibit the use of such expressway or freeway by pedestrians, persons riding bicycles or other no…

349.11 Authority to modify speed restrictions. 349.11(1)(1) 349.11(1)(a)(a) Whenever the department with respect to the state trunk highway system and the local authorities with respect to highways under their jurisdiction determine upon the basis of an engineering and traffic in…

349.115 Authority to impound vehicles. (1) A political subdivision may, by ordinance, authorize a law enforcement officer, at the discretion of the officer, to impound any vehicle used in the commission of a violation of s. 346.62 or a local ordinance in strict conformity with s.…

349.12 Authority to designate no-passing zones. The department, county highway committees and local authorities, in regard to highways under their respective jurisdictions, may determine, in accordance with standards and procedures adopted by the department, where overtaking or p…

349.13 Authority to regulate the stopping, standing or parking of vehicles. (1b) In this section, “owner” includes the lessee of a vehicle if the vehicle is registered, or required to be registered, by the lessee under ch. 341. (1d) A local authority with respect to highways unde…

349.132 Authority to require vehicle registration. The governing body of any town, city, village, or county may enact an ordinance requiring that no vehicle that has been impounded or towed may be released unless the motor vehicle is registered under ch. 341 or exempt from regist…

349.135 Authority to regulate radios or other electric sound amplification devices. (1) Notwithstanding s. 346.94 (16), the governing body of any town, city, village or county may, by ordinance, provide that, except as provided in s. 347.38 (1), no person may operate or park, sto…

349.137 Authority to regulate use of motor vehicle immobilization devices. (1) In this section: (b) “Parking area” means an area used for parking that is not on a highway. (c) “Parking enforcer” means a person who enforces restrictions against unauthorized parking. The term inclu…

349.139 Authority to immobilize, remove, impound, and dispose of motor vehicles for nonmoving traffic violations. SUBCHAPTER III LICENSING POWERS

349.14 Authority to use parking meters. (1) It is the public policy of this state that the use of parking meters by cities, villages, towns and counties to measure the time for parking vehicles is a local matter to be determined by the local authorities. (2) Cities, villages, tow…

349.145 Authority to establish disabled parking enforcement assistance councils. Any city, village or county may by ordinance or resolution establish a disabled parking enforcement assistance council. The majority of such a council shall be appointed by the local authorities from…

349.15 Authority to modify weight limitations and classify highways. 349.15(1)(1) The limitations on size and weight imposed by ch. 348 are lawful throughout the state and local authorities may not alter such limitations except as otherwise provided in this chapter. 349.15(2)(2) …

349.16 Authority to impose special or seasonal weight limitations. (1) The officer in charge of maintenance in case of highways maintained by a town, city or village, the county highway commissioner or county highway committee in the case of highways maintained by the county and …

349.17 Authority of cities, villages and towns to regulate heavy traffic. (1) Any city, village or town may by ordinance or resolution designate any street or highway under its jurisdiction as a heavy traffic route and designate the type and character of vehicles which may be ope…

349.18 Additional traffic-control authority of counties and municipalities. (1) Any city, village or town, by ordinance, may: (a) Designate the number of persons that may ride on a motor bicycle at any one time and the highways upon which a motor bicycle or moped may or may not b…

349.185 Authority to regulate certain events and pedestrians. The authority in charge of the maintenance of a highway may by order, ordinance or resolution: (1) Regulate community events or celebrations, processions or assemblages on the highways, including reasonable regulations…

349.19 Authority to require accident reports. Any city, village, town or county may by ordinance require the operator of a vehicle involved in an accident to file with a designated municipal department or officer a report of such accident or a copy of any report required to be fi…

349.20 Authority to prohibit use of bridges for fishing or swimming. The authority in charge of maintenance of a highway on which is located a bridge or approach thereto which constitute an undue traffic hazard, if used by pedestrians for the purpose of fishing or swimming, may e…

349.21 Authority to regulate school bus warning lights. (1) The governing body of any town, city, village or county may by ordinance provide for the use of flashing red or amber warning lights by school bus operators in a residence or business district when pupils or other author…

349.215 Authority to appoint school crossing guards. The governing body of any city, village, town or county may by ordinance provide for the appointment of adult school crossing 349.23 guards for the protection of persons who are crossing a highway in the vicinity of a school. T…

349.217 Authority to appoint traffic control attendants. (1) The governing body of any municipality or county may by ordinance provide for the appointment of traffic control attendants for the protection of persons who are crossing a highway in the municipality or county. (2) If …

349.22 Authority to establish mass transit way. (1) The department with respect to the state trunk highway system may by order, and any local authority with respect to highways under its jurisdiction may by ordinance, designate a portion of any highway under its jurisdiction as a…

349.23 Authority to designate bicycle lanes and bicycle ways. (1) The governing body of any city, town, village or county may by ordinance: (a) Designate any roadway or portion thereof under its jurisdiction as a bicycle lane. (b) Designate any sidewalk or portion thereof in its …

349.235 Authority to restrict use of in-line skates on roadway. (1) The governing body of any city, town, village or county may by ordinance restrict the use of in-line skates on any roadway under its jurisdiction. No ordinance may restrict any person from riding upon in-line ska…

349.236 Authority to regulate operation of electric personal assistive mobility devices and personal delivery devices. (1) The governing body of any municipality or county may, by ordinance, do any of the following: (a) Prohibit the operation of electric personal assistive mobili…

349.237 Authority to regulate electric scooters. The governing body of any municipality or county may, by ordinance, regulate the rental and operation of electric scooters in a manner consistent with the regulation of bicycles in the municipality or county, except that the govern…

349.24 Authority to license taxicab operators and taxicabs. (1) The council of any city and every village or town board may: (a) Regulate and license chauffeurs and operators of taxicabs used for hire; (b) Regulate and license the taxicab business by licensing each taxicab used f…

349.25 Authority to license hayrack and sleigh rides. (1) In counties containing a city of the first or second class, the owner of a vehicle to be operated upon a highway for the purpose of transporting persons for hire in what is commonly known as a hayrack ride, a sleigh, boxsl…

349.26 Authority to allow or prohibit the operation of low-speed vehicles. statute or ordinance specified under par. (b) unless the police officer, sheriff, deputy sheriff, traffic officer or motor vehicle inspector has reasonable cause to believe that a violation of a statute or…