March 27, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Wanggaard, Feyen and Nass, cosponsored by Representatives B. Jacobson, Behnke, Callahan, Dittrich, Goeben, Knodl, Mursau, O'Connor, Penterman, Piwowarczyk and Pronschinske. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government.
SB159,1,2
1An Act to amend 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes; relating to: requirements for
2lighting on police vehicles. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law provides that a police vehicle may be equipped with flashing, oscillating, or rotating blue and red lights. On a marked police vehicle, the blue light must be mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light must be mounted on the driver side of the vehicle.
This bill provides that, on a marked police vehicle with an exterior light bar, the blue light must be mounted on the roof of the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light must be mounted on the roof of the driver side of the vehicle. For lights mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights must be displayed on the interior of the passenger side of the vehicle and red lights must be displayed on the interior of the driver side of the vehicle. The bill also authorizes the use of a combination of blue and red lights mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle if the vehicle is already equipped with roof or interior lights as required by the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB159,13Section 1. 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read: SB159,2,21
1347.25 (1m) (b) If the vehicle is so equipped, the lights shall be illuminated as 2required under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a) when the operator of the police vehicle is 3exercising the privileges granted under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a). On a marked 4police vehicle with an exterior light bar, the blue light shall be mounted on the roof 5of the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be mounted on the roof of 6the driver side of the vehicle. If lights are mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights 7shall be displayed on the interior of the passenger side of the vehicle and red lights 8shall be displayed on the interior of the driver side of the vehicle. On marked police 9vehicles with blue lights displayed on the passenger side roof or interior and red 10lights displayed on the driver side roof or interior, a combination of additional blue 11and red lights may be mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle in any 12configuration. When in use on an unmarked police vehicle, the blue light shall be 13displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be displayed on 14the driver side of the vehicle. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be 15plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet during normal 16sunlight and during hours of darkness. No operator of a police vehicle may use the 17warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of 18an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon 19returning from a fire alarm, when necessarily parked on a highway in a position 20which is likely to be hazardous to traffic using the highway, or as authorized under 21s. 346.215 (2) (a).
