Chapter 343

343.24(2)(a) (a) For each file search, $5.

343.24(2)(b) (b) For each computerized search, $5. The department may not charge this fee to any governmental unit, as defined in s. 895.51 (1) (dm).

343.24(2)(c) (c) For each search requested by telephone, $6, or an established monthly service rate determined by the department. The department may not charge this fee to any governmental unit, as defined in s. 895.51 (1) (dm).

343.24(2)(d) (d) For providing a paper copy of an abstract, $2.

343.24(2m) (2m) If the department, in maintaining a computerized operating record system, makes copies of its operating record file database, or a portion thereof, on computer tape or other electronic media, copies of the tape or media may be furnished to any person on request. The department may also furnish to any person upon request records on computer tape or other electronic media that contain information from files of uniform traffic citations or motor vehicle accidents and that were produced for or developed by the department for purposes related to maintenance of the operating record file database. The department shall charge a fee of $5 for each file of vehicle operators’ records contained in the tape or media. The department shall charge a fee of not more than $5 for each file of uniform traffic citations or motor vehicle accidents contained in the tape or media. Nothing in this subsection requires the department to produce records of particular files or data in a particular format except as those records or data are made by the department for its purposes.

343.24(3) (3) The department shall not disclose information concerning or related to a violation as defined by s. 343.30 (6) to any person other than a court, district attorney, county corporation counsel, city, village, or town attorney, law enforcement agency, driver licensing agency of another jurisdiction, or the minor who committed the violation or his or her parent or guardian.

343.24(4) (4) 

343.24(4)(a) (a) In this subsection:

343.24(4)(a)1. 1. “Agent” means an authorized person who acts on behalf of or at the direction of another person.

343.24(4)(a)2. 2. “Insurer” has the meaning given in s. 600.03 (27).

343.24(4)(a)3. 3. “Personal identifier” has the meaning given in s. 85.103 (1).

343.24(4)(a)4. 4. “State authority” has the meaning given in s. 19.62 (8).

343.24(4)(b) (b) In furnishing 10 or more operating records to a person under sub. (1) or (2m), the department may not disclose a personal identifier of any person who has made a designation under s. 85.103 (2) or (3).

343.24(4)(c) (c) Paragraph (b) does not apply to any of the following:

343.24(4)(c)1. 1. A law enforcement agency, a state authority, a district attorney, a driver licensing agency of another jurisdiction, or a federal governmental agency, to perform a legally authorized function.

343.24(4)(c)2. 2. An insurer authorized to write property and casualty or life, disability or long-term care insurance in this state or an agent of the insurer, if the insurer or agent uses the names or addresses for purposes of issuing or renewing a policy and related underwriting, billing or processing or paying a claim. Notwithstanding par. (e), no insurer, or agent of an insurer, may disclose to another person for marketing purposes any personal identifier received under this subdivision.

343.24(4)(e) (e) Any person who has received under par. (c) a personal identifier of any person who has made a designation under s. 85.103 (2) or (3) shall keep the personal identifier confidential and may not disclose it except for a purpose applicable to that person under par. (c).

343.24(4)(f) (f)

343.24(4)(f)1. 1. Any person who discloses a personal identifier in violation of this subsection may be required to forfeit not more than $500 for each violation.

343.24(4)(f)2. 2. Any person who requests or obtains a personal identifier from the department under this subsection under false pretenses may be required to forfeit not more than $500 for each violation.

343.24(4)(f)3. 3. Subdivisions 1. and 2. do not apply to a legal custodian under s. 19.33 of the department.

343.24 History History: 1975 c. 297 s. 9; Stats. 1975 s. 343.24; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (e); 1979 c. 221, 331, 355; 1989 a. 105; 1991 a. 269; 1993 a. 16, 490; 1995 a. 113; Sup. Ct. Order No. 99-04, 228 Wis. 2d xxiii (2000); 1999 a. 88, 185; 2001 a. 16; 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 28.

343.24 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Trans 195, Wis. adm. code.

343.24 Annotation Section 19.35 (3) (a) defers to other statutes that specifically authorize records custodians to charge fees for records that differ from the fees that the open records law itself authorizes. Sub. (2m) grants the Department of Transportation (DOT) authority to charge parties for inspecting accident reports. Therefore, the requester was not entitled to free access to DOT’s database because both Wisconsin open records law and statutory authority permit DOT to charge access fees for certain records and because case law has held that the right to access records does not extend to the right to access databases. Media Placement Services, Inc. v. DOT, 2018 WI App 34, 382 Wis. 2d 191, 913 N.W.2d 224, 17-0791.

343.245 343.245 Duties of commercial motor vehicle drivers; employer responsibilities; penalties.

343.245(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

343.245(1)(a) (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, regularly employed driver, a volunteer driver, a casual, intermittent or occasional driver, a leased driver, and an independent, owner-operator contractor while in the course of operating a commercial motor vehicle.

343.245(1)(b) (b) “Employer” means any person, including the state or a political subdivision thereof, who owns or leases a commercial motor vehicle or assigns a person to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

343.245(2) (2) Notifications by driver.

343.245(2)(a) (a) Notification of convictions.

343.245(2)(a)1. 1. ‘To state.’ A person, after applying for or receiving a commercial driver license issued by this state, who is convicted of violating in a motor vehicle any law of this state or local ordinance adopted in conformity therewith or a law enacted by a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state which is in conformity with any law of this state, or the law of another jurisdiction, relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than parking violations, shall notify the department of the conviction in the manner specified by the department within 30 days after the date of conviction. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person who holds an “H” endorsement specified in s. 343.17 (3) (d) 1m. shall notify the department within 24 hours if the person is convicted, or found not guilty by reason of insanity, of any disqualifying felony criminal offense described in s. 343.14 (2g) (a) 1., or adjudicated as a mental defective or committed to a mental institution.

343.245(2)(a)2. 2. ‘To employers.’ An employee, after applying for or receiving a commercial driver license issued by this state, who is convicted of violating in a motor vehicle any law of this state or local ordinance adopted in conformity therewith or a law enacted by a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state which is in conformity with any law of this state, or the law of another jurisdiction, relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than parking violations, shall notify his or her current employer in writing of the conviction within 30 days after the date of conviction.

343.245(2)(b) (b) Notification of suspensions, revocations and cancellations. An employee whose commercial driver license is suspended, revoked or canceled by a state, or who loses the privilege to operate a commercial motor vehicle in any state for any period, including being disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle or subject to an out-of-service order, shall notify his or her current employer of that fact before the end of the first business day after the day on which the employee receives notice of the suspension, revocation, cancellation, disqualification or out-of-service order.

343.245(2)(c) (c) Notification of previous employment. An applicant for employment as a commercial motor vehicle driver shall provide, at the time of application, information on his or her employment history as a commercial motor vehicle driver as requested by the prospective employer, certified as true and complete by the applicant, including all of the following information for the 10 years preceding the date of application:

343.245(2)(c)1. 1. The names and addresses of any previous employers for which the applicant was a commercial motor vehicle driver.

343.245(2)(c)2. 2. The dates of employment with each employer in subd. 1.

343.245(2)(c)3. 3. The reason for leaving each employer in subd. 1.

343.245(3) (3) Employer responsibilities.

343.245(3)(a) (a) Every employer shall request each applicant for employment as a commercial motor vehicle driver to provide the information specified in sub. (2) (c), and no employer may employ as a commercial motor vehicle driver an applicant who refuses or otherwise fails to provide true and complete information.

343.245(3)(b) (b) No employer may knowingly allow, permit or authorize an employee to operate a commercial motor vehicle during any period when the employee:

343.245(3)(b)1. 1. Has had his or her commercial driver license suspended, revoked or canceled by any state;

343.245(3)(b)2. 2. Is disqualified from operating a commercial vehicle;

343.245(3)(b)3. 3. Is subject to an out-of-service order in any state;

343.245(3)(b)4. 4. Has more than one operator’s license, except during the 10-day period beginning on the date on which the employee is issued an operator’s license; or

343.245(3)(b)5. 5. Does not possess a valid commercial driver license properly endorsed to permit operation of the vehicle.

343.245(3)(c) (c) No employer may knowingly allow, permit, or authorize an employee to operate a commercial motor vehicle in violation of any federal, state, or local law, rule, or regulation relating to railroad crossings.

343.245(4) (4) Penalties.

343.245(4)(a) (a) Except as provided in pars. (b) and (c), any person who violates sub. (2) or (3) shall forfeit not more than $2,500.

343.245(4)(b) (b) Any person who violates sub. (3) (b) shall be fined not less than $2,750 nor more than $25,000 or imprisoned for not more than 90 days or both.

343.245(4)(c) (c) Any person who violates sub. (3) (c) shall forfeit not more than $10,000.

343.245 History History: 1989 a. 105; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 16; 1995 a. 113; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2003 a. 33; 2009 a. 28, 326.

343.245 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Trans 118, Wis. adm. code.

343.247 343.247 Employer notification program.

343.247(1) (1) In this section:

343.247(1)(a) (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.

343.247(1)(b) (b) “Employer” has the meaning given in s. 343.245 (1) (b) and also includes any person, including the state or a political subdivision thereof, who employs a person whose employment responsibilities include the operation of any motor vehicle.

343.247(2) (2) 

343.247(2)(a) (a) The department shall establish by rule an employer notification program to permit an employer to register the name of an employee and be notified by the department whenever a conviction or suspension, revocation, cancellation, disqualification or out-of-service order is recorded on the operating record of the employee. An employer may withdraw an employee’s name from the program at any time.

343.247(2)(b) (b) The department shall establish and collect reasonable fees from employers in the program sufficient to defray the costs of instituting and maintaining the program, including the registration and withdrawal of employees. The fee for each notification by the department to an employer under par. (a) shall be $5.

343.247 History History: 2009 a. 326 ss. 2 to 4.

subch. III of ch. 343 SUBCHAPTER III

CANCELLATION, REVOCATION AND
SUSPENSION OF LICENSES

343.25 343.25 Cancellation of licenses. The secretary shall cancel a license:

343.25(1) (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

343.25(2) (2) Within 10 days after receiving a written request from a person who signed the application of a person under 18 years of age, or a notice of cancellation or termination of insurance, as provided in s. 343.15; or

343.25(3) (3) When the license is held by a person under 18 years of age and the secretary receives satisfactory evidence of the death of the adult who signed the application for the license; or

343.25(4) (4) When the person holding the license falls into one of the classes of persons to whom the law prohibits issuance of a license or a particular endorsement; or

343.25(5) (5) Whenever the secretary determines that a person has secured a license or endorsement, or attempted to secure a license or endorsement, by hiring or permitting another to appear in the person’s place to take an examination or otherwise gaining or attempting to gain a passing score on an examination by fraud or otherwise obtain a commercial license or endorsement by fraud; or

343.25(6) (6) Whenever the secretary determines that a license has been altered and returned for cancellation under s. 343.43 (2); or

343.25(7) (7) When a person who has been ordered to submit to an examination under s. 343.16 or to appear for either group or individual counseling or examination under s. 343.32 (2) fails or refuses to do so. Such cancellation shall continue until compliance with the order has been made or the order is rescinded.

343.25 History History: 1975 c. 5, 199; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (c); 1989 a. 105, 359; 2015 a. 123.

343.26 343.26 License after cancellation.

343.26(1) (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 application and all required fees, and after processing the application as provided in s. 343.165, the department shall issue or refuse issuance of the license as upon an original application. The department may, but need not, require the applicant to submit to an examination as provided in s. 343.16.

343.26(2) (2) If a person’s license has been canceled under s. 343.25 (2) or (3), or canceled because of the person’s nonpayment of a fee, the person’s license may be reinstated as provided in s. 343.38 (3g).

343.26 History History: 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (a), (c); 2007 a. 20; 2009 a. 103.

343.265 343.265 Voluntary surrender and reissuance after surrender.

343.265(1) (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 prevents or may prevent the person from exercising reasonable control over a motor vehicle if the person’s operating privilege is not subject to suspension or revocation for any reason.

343.265(1m) (1m) The department may accept the voluntary surrender of the operator’s license of a person who no longer intends to exercise the privilege of operating a vehicle class or type authorized by that license, if the person’s operating privilege is not subject to suspension or revocation for any reason. The department may issue a license under sub. (2), omitting the authorizations to operate a vehicle class or type that the person has relinquished.

343.265(1r) (1r) Notwithstanding sub. (1), the department shall accept the voluntary surrender of an “H” endorsement specified in s. 343.17 (3) (d) 1m. Upon accepting the surrender, the department shall immediately cancel the endorsement if the licensee is not eligible for the endorsement. Following cancellation under this subsection, the department shall take the actions required in s. 343.125 (4) (a) and (b). Upon accepting the surrender from a person to whom the department would not be prohibited from issuing an “H” endorsement, the department may remove that endorsement from the licensee’s commercial driver license as a temporary surrender. The department may not issue an “H” endorsement to any person whose “H” endorsement is removed as a temporary surrender under this subsection unless the person applies for initial issuance of an “H” endorsement.

343.265(2) (2) A person whose voluntary surrender of license under sub. (1) or (1m) has been accepted by the department may apply for a duplicate license under s. 343.19, or, if the person’s license has expired during the period of surrender, a renewal license, at any time. Upon receipt of the person’s application and the applicable fees under s. 343.21, the department shall issue or deny the license as provided in this subchapter. The department may require the person to submit to an examination under s. 343.16 (5).

343.265 History History: 1987 a. 40; 1989 a. 105; 1995 a. 113; 2003 a. 33; 2007 a. 20.

343.28 343.28 Courts to report convictions and forward licenses to the department.

343.28(1) (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 justice, judge or magistrate of a court not having a clerk, shall, as provided in s. 345.48, forward to the department the record of such conviction. The record of conviction forwarded to the department shall state whether the offender was involved in an accident at the time of the offense, whether the offender was operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense and, if so, whether the offender was transporting hazardous materials requiring placarding or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin under 42 CFR 73, or was operating a vehicle designed to carry, or actually carrying, 16 or more passengers, including the driver. Whenever a person is convicted of exceeding a posted speed limit, the record of conviction forwarded to the department shall include the number of miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit.

343.28(2) (2) Whenever a person is convicted of any offense for which s. 343.31 makes mandatory the revocation by the secretary of such person’s operating privilege, the court in which the conviction occurred may require the surrender to it of any license then held by such person. If the court requires surrender of a license, the court shall destroy the license. The clerk of the court, or the justice, judge or magistrate if the court has no clerk, shall, as provided in s. 345.48, forward to the department the record of conviction, which shall state whether the offender was involved in an accident at the time of the offense, whether the offender was operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the offense and, if so, whether the offender was transporting hazardous materials requiring placarding or any quantity of a material listed as a select agent or toxin under 42 CFR 73, or was operating a vehicle designed to carry, or actually carrying, 16 or more passengers, including the driver.

343.28(3) (3) If a person is convicted of committing a violation as defined by s. 343.30 (6) (a), the clerk of the court, or the justice, judge or magistrate if the court has no clerk, shall, as provided in s. 345.48, forward to the department the record of conviction.

343.28(4) (4) Any person who fails to comply with any provision of this section relative to forwarding records of convictions to the department may be fined not more than $100 or imprisoned not more than 6 months or both.

343.28 History History: 1971 c. 278; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (a), (c); 1977 c. 273; 1979 c. 331; 1989 a. 105; 1995 a. 113; 1999 a. 140; 2003 a. 33; 2009 a. 103.

343.30 343.30 Suspension and revocation by the courts.

343.30(1) (1) A court may suspend a person’s operating privilege for any period not exceeding one year upon such person’s conviction in such court of violating any of the state traffic laws or any local ordinance enacted under ch. 349, other than a violation of s. 346.05 (1), 346.06, 346.07 (2) or (3), 346.09, 346.18, 346.23, 346.31, 346.37 (1) (a) 1., (c) 3., or (d) 1., 346.39 (1), 346.46 (1) or (4) (a), 346.47 (1) or (2), or 346.87 or a local ordinance in conformity therewith for which operating privilege suspension is required under s. 343.31 (2t) (a).