Chapter 346

346.66(1)(b) (b) Except as provided in sub. (2), ss. 346.67 to 346.70 do not apply to private parking areas at farms or single-family residences.

346.66(1)(c) (c) Sections 346.67 to 346.70 do not apply to accidents involving only snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, utility terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), that were being operated off the highways, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (y), or vehicles propelled by human power or drawn by animals.

346.66(2) (2) 

346.66(2)(a) (a) Sections 346.67, 346.68, and 346.69 apply to the operator of a vehicle that, whether by operator intention or lack of control, departs a highway or premises described in sub. (1) (a) immediately prior to an accident if the accident does not occur on real property owned or leased by the operator.

346.66(2)(b) (b) Sections 346.675 and 346.70 apply to an accident described in par. (a).

346.66 History History: 1971 c. 277; 1985 a. 29; 1995 a. 127; 2009 a. 62; 2011 a. 208; 2015 a. 170.

346.66 Annotation The test for whether a premises is held out to the public is whether, on any given day, potentially any resident of the community with a driver’s license and access to a motor vehicle could use the premises in an authorized manner. State v. Carter, 229 Wis. 2d 200, 598 N.W.2d 619 (Ct. App. 1999), 98-1688.

346.665 346.665 Definition. In ss. 346.67 to 346.72, notwithstanding s. 340.01 (42), “owner” means, with respect to a vehicle that is registered, or required to be registered, by a lessee of the vehicle under ch. 341, the lessee of the vehicle.

346.665 History History: 1997 a. 27.

346.67 346.67 Duty upon striking person or attended or occupied vehicle.

346.67(1) (1) The operator of a vehicle involved in an accident shall reasonably investigate what was struck and if the operator knows or has reason to know that the accident resulted in injury or death of a person or in damage to a vehicle that is driven or attended by a person, the operator shall stop the vehicle he or she is operating as close to the scene of the accident as possible and remain at the scene of the accident until the operator has done all of the following:

346.67(1)(a) (a) The operator shall give his or her name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he or she is driving to the person struck or to the operator or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with; and

346.67(1)(b) (b) The operator shall, upon request and if available, exhibit his or her operator’s license to the person struck or to the operator or occupant of or person attending any vehicle collided with; and

346.67(1)(c) (c) The operator shall render reasonable assistance to any person injured in the accident, including transporting, or making arrangements to transport the person to a physician, surgeon, or hospital for medical or surgical treatment if it is apparent that medical or surgical treatment is necessary or if requested by the injured person.

346.67(2) (2) Any stop required under sub. (1) shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.

346.67(3) (3) A prosecutor is not required to allege or prove that an operator knew that he or she collided with a person or a vehicle driven or attended by a person in a prosecution under this section.

346.67 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1997 a. 258; 2015 a. 319.

346.67 Annotation Violation of this section is a felony. State ex rel. McDonald v. Circuit Court, 100 Wis. 2d 569, 302 N.W.2d 462 (1981).

346.67 Annotation Discussing the elements of the duty under this section. State v. Lloyd, 104 Wis. 2d 49, 310 N.W.2d 617 (Ct. App. 1981).

346.67 Annotation A “person injured” in sub. (1) (c) includes a person who is fatally injured. A subsequent determination of instantaneous death does not absolve a person of the duty to investigate whether assistance is possible. State v. Swatek, 178 Wis. 2d 1, 502 N.W.2d 909 (Ct. App. 1993).

346.67 Annotation “Accident” in sub. (1) means an unexpected, undesirable event and may encompass intentional conduct. By including intentional conduct within the definition, the reporting requirements do not infringe on the 5th amendment privilege against self-incrimination. State v. Harmon, 2006 WI App 214, 296 Wis. 2d 861, 723 N.W.2d 732, 05-2480.

346.67 Annotation “Accident” in the context of sub. (1) includes, at a minimum, the operator’s loss of control of the vehicle that results in a collision. Because the defendant’s loss of control of the vehicle occurred on the highway, even though the resulting collision occurred off the highway, the defendant was “involved in an accident” “upon a highway” within the meaning of sub. (1) and s. 346.02 (1). State v. Dartez, 2007 WI App 126, 301 Wis. 2d 499, 731 N.W.2d 340, 06-1845.

346.67 Annotation Sub. (1) requires an operator of a vehicle to identify him or herself as the operator of the vehicle. State v. Wuteska, 2007 WI App 157, 303 Wis. 2d 646, 735 N.W.2d 574, 06-2248.

346.67 Annotation Given the general rule that “where the crime is against persons rather than property, there are as many offenses as individuals affected” and the statute’s clear imposition of duties with regard to each of the victims at an accident scene, it is reasonable to presume that the legislature authorized multiple punishments under sub. (1). The defendant owed a distinct set of duties under sub. (1) to each of the two victims at the accident scene that the defendant fled. Although stopping one’s vehicle at the scene of the accident is one obligation that sub. (1) imposes, that requirement is manifestly in service of the statute’s true focus: the operator’s obligation to remain at the scene of the accident until the operator has fulfilled each of the enumerated statutory obligations owed to specified persons at the scene. State v. Pal, 2017 WI 44, 374 Wis. 2d 759, 893 N.W.2d 848, 15-1782.

346.675 346.675 Vehicle owner’s liability for failing to stop at the scene of an accident.

346.675(1) (1) Subject to s. 346.01 (2), the owner of a vehicle operated in the commission of a violation of s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69 shall be liable for the violation as provided in this section.

346.675(2) (2) Any person who observes a violation of s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69 may, within 24 hours after observing the violation, report the violation to a traffic officer of the county or municipality in which the violation occurred. If possible, the report shall contain the following information:

346.675(2)(a) (a) A description of the violation alleged.

346.675(2)(b) (b) The time and the approximate location at which the violation occurred.

346.675(2)(c) (c) The vehicle registration number and color of all vehicles involved in the violation.

346.675(2)(d) (d) Identification of each vehicle involved in the violation as an automobile, station wagon, motor truck, motor bus, motorcycle, or other type of vehicle.

346.675(2)(e) (e) If the violation included damage to property other than a vehicle, a description of such property.

346.675(3) (3) 

346.675(3)(a) (a) Within 72 hours after receiving a report containing all of the information in sub. (2), the traffic officer may investigate the violation and, after verifying the information provided under sub. (2) (c) to (e) and determining that there is probable cause to believe that a violation of s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69 has occurred, may prepare a uniform traffic citation under s. 345.11 and personally serve it upon the owner of the vehicle being operated in the commission of the violation of s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69.

346.675(3)(b) (b) If with reasonable diligence the owner specified in par. (a) cannot be served under par. (a), service may be made by leaving a copy of the citation at the owner’s usual place of abode within this state in the presence of a competent member of the family at least 14 years of age, who shall be informed of the contents thereof.

346.675(3)(c) (c) If with reasonable diligence the owner specified in par. (a) cannot be served under par. (a) or (b) or if the owner specified in par. (a) lives outside of the jurisdiction of the issuing authority, service may be made by certified mail addressed to the owner’s last-known address.

346.675(4) (4) 

346.675(4)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), it shall be no defense to a violation of this section that the owner was not operating the vehicle at the time of the violation.

346.675(4)(b) (b) The following are defenses to a violation of this section:

346.675(4)(b)1. 1. That a report that the vehicle was stolen was given to a traffic officer before the violation occurred or within a reasonable time after the violation occurred.

346.675(4)(b)2. 2. If the owner of the vehicle, including a lessee specified in subd. 3., or a person on a trial run specified in subd. 4. provides a traffic officer with the name and address of the person operating the vehicle at the time of the violation and sufficient information for the officer to determine that probable cause does not exist to believe that the owner of the vehicle was operating the vehicle at the time of the violation, then the person operating the vehicle shall be charged under s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69 and the owner, including a lessee, or person on a trial run shall not be charged under this section.

346.675(4)(b)3. 3. Subject to subd. 2., if the vehicle is owned by a lessor of vehicles and at the time of the violation the vehicle was in the possession of a lessee, and the lessor provides a traffic officer with the information required under s. 343.46 (3), then the lessee and not the lessor shall be charged under this section.

346.675(4)(b)4. 4. Subject to subd. 2., if the vehicle is owned by a dealer as defined in s. 340.01 (11) (intro.) but including the persons specified in s. 340.01 (11) (a) to (d), and at the time of the violation the vehicle was being operated by any person on a trial run, and if the dealer provides a traffic officer with the name, address, and operator’s license number of the person authorized to operate the vehicle on the trial run, then this person, and not the dealer, shall be charged under this section.

346.675(4)(b)5. 5. That another person has been convicted under s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69 for the violation of s. 346.67 (1), 346.68, or 346.69 specified in sub. (1).

346.675 History History: 2005 a. 411.

346.68 346.68 Duty upon striking unattended vehicle. The operator of any vehicle which collides with any vehicle which is unattended shall immediately stop and either locate and notify the operator or owner of such vehicle of the name and address of the operator and owner of the vehicle striking the unattended vehicle or leave in a conspicuous place in the vehicle struck, a written notice giving the name and address of the operator and of the owner of the vehicle doing the striking and a statement of the circumstances thereof. Any such stop shall be made without obstructing traffic more than is necessary.

346.68 History History: 1997 a. 258.

346.68 Annotation A driver’s knowledge of a collision with an unattended vehicle need not be proved under this section. 68 Atty. Gen. 274.

346.69 346.69 Duty upon striking property on or adjacent to highway. The operator of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting only in damage to fixtures or other property legally upon or adjacent to a highway shall take reasonable steps to locate and notify the owner or person in charge of such property of such fact and of the operator’s name and address and of the registration number of the vehicle the operator is driving and shall upon request and if available exhibit his or her operator’s license and shall make report of such accident when and as required in s. 346.70.

346.69 History History: 1991 a. 316.

346.70 346.70 Duty to report accident; assistance following accident.

346.70(1) (1) Immediate notice of accident. The operator or occupant of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or death of any person, any damage to state or other government-owned property, except a state or other government-owned vehicle, to an apparent extent of $200 or more, or total damage to property owned by any one person or to a state or other government-owned vehicle to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of such accident to the police department, the sheriff’s department or the traffic department of the county or municipality in which the accident occurred or to a state traffic patrol officer. In this subsection, “injury” means injury to a person of a physical nature resulting in death or the need of first aid or attention by a physician or surgeon, whether or not first aid or medical or surgical treatment was actually received; “total damage to property owned by one person” means the sum total cost of putting the property damaged in the condition it was before the accident, if repair thereof is practical, and if not practical, the sum total cost of replacing such property. For purposes of this subsection if any property which is damaged is held in a form of joint or multiple ownership, the property shall be considered to be owned by one person.

346.70(1m) (1m) Law enforcement contact and involvement following an accident.

346.70(1m)(a) (a)

346.70(1m)(a)1. 1. No person in the business of towing, recovery, or repair of motor vehicles may contract for retrieval, recovery, or removal from the scene of a traffic accident described in sub. (1) of any motor vehicle that has sustained damage unless the person notifies, or has been contacted by, a law enforcement agency prior to retrieval, recovery, or removal of the vehicle.

346.70(1m)(a)2. 2. This paragraph does not apply with respect to removal of a motor vehicle from the roadway at the scene of an accident if such removal is necessary to avoid imminent danger to motorists or other persons.

346.70(1m)(b) (b) No person may knowingly assist an operator or occupant of a motor vehicle involved in an accident as described in sub. (1) to flee the scene of the accident unless the accident has, or the person is advised that the accident has, first been reported to a law enforcement agency, except to provide medical assistance.

346.70(2) (2) Written report of accident. Unless a report is made under sub. (4) by a law enforcement agency, within 10 days after an accident of the type described in sub. (1), the operator of a vehicle involved in the accident shall forward a written report of the accident to the department. The department may accept or require a report of the accident to be filed by an occupant or the owner in lieu of a report from the operator. Every accident report required to be made in writing shall be made on the appropriate form approved by the department and shall contain all of the information required therein unless not available. The report shall include information sufficient to enable the department to determine whether the requirements for deposit of security under s. 344.14 are inapplicable by reason of the existence of insurance or other exceptions specified in ch. 344.

346.70(3) (3) Who to report when operator unable. Whenever the operator of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving the notice and making the report required by subs. (1) and (2), the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident shall give the notice and make the report required by subs. (1) and (2). If the owner of the vehicle is physically or mentally incapable of making the report required by sub. (2), and if there was another occupant in the vehicle at the time of the accident capable of making the report, the occupant shall make the report.

346.70(3m) (3m) Duty of department with respect to accident reports.

346.70(3m)(a) (a) The department may require any operator, occupant or owner of a vehicle involved in an accident of which report must be made as provided in this section to file supplemental reports whenever the original report is insufficient in the opinion of the department and may require witnesses of accidents to render reports to the department.

346.70(3m)(b) (b) The department shall tabulate and may analyze all accident reports and shall publish annually or at more frequent intervals statistical information based thereon as to the number and circumstances of traffic accidents.

346.70(3m)(c) (c) The department shall prepare and supply at its own expense to police departments, coroners, sheriffs and other suitable agencies or individuals, forms or an automated format for accident reports required to be made to the department. Any report forms and automated format shall call for sufficiently detailed information to disclose with reference to a traffic accident the cause, conditions then existing, and the persons and vehicles involved.

346.70(4) (4) Police and traffic agencies to report.

346.70(4)(a) (a) Every law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report of a traffic accident as described in sub. (1) shall forward an original written report of the accident or a report of the accident in an automated format to the department within 10 days after the date of the accident.

346.70(4)(b) (b) The reports shall be made on a uniform traffic accident report form or in an automated format prescribed by the secretary. The uniform traffic accident report form shall be supplied by the secretary in sufficient quantities to meet the requirements of the department and the law enforcement agency.

346.70(4)(f) (f) Notwithstanding s. 346.73, any person may with proper care, during office hours, and subject to such orders or regulations as the custodian thereof prescribes, examine or copy such uniform traffic accident reports, including supplemental or additional reports, statements of witnesses, photographs and diagrams, retained by local authorities, the state traffic patrol or any other investigating law enforcement agency.

346.70(4)(g) (g) The department, upon request of local enforcement agencies, shall make available to them compilations of data obtained from such reports.

346.70(4)(h) (h) Every law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report of a traffic accident as described in sub. (1) shall forward a copy of the report of the accident to the county traffic safety commission or to the person designated to maintain spot maps under s. 83.013 (1) (a) in the county where the accident occurred when the accident occurred on a county or town road or on a street where the population of the city, village or town is less than 5,000. For traffic accidents occurring within a city or village with a population of 5,000 or more, the law enforcement agency investigating or receiving a report shall forward a copy of the report of the accident to the city or village where the accident occurred.

346.70(4)(i) (i) Whenever a law enforcement officer investigates or receives a report of a traffic accident subject to sub. (1), in which the operator of any vehicle involved in the accident displays a driver’s license issued by the federal department of state or otherwise claims immunities or privileges under 22 USC 254a to 258a with respect to the operator’s violation of any state traffic law or any local traffic law enacted by any local authority in accordance with s. 349.06, the officer shall do all of the following:

346.70(4)(i)1. 1. As soon as practicable, contact the diplomatic security command center of the office of foreign missions, diplomatic motor vehicle office, within the federal department of state, to verify the status and immunity, if any, of the driver claiming diplomatic immunity.

346.70(4)(i)2. 2. Within 10 days after the date of the accident, forward a copy of the report of the accident, at no charge, to the diplomatic security command center of the office of foreign missions, diplomatic motor vehicle office, within the federal department of state.

346.70(5) (5) Falsifying reports. No person shall falsely make and file or transmit any accident report or knowingly make a false statement in any accident report which is filed or transmitted pursuant to this section.

346.70 History History: 1975 c. 240, 381; 1977 c. 29 ss. 1486, 1654 (7) (a), (c); 1977 c. 100; 1979 c. 99; 1981 c. 20, 133, 314; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 211; 1993 a. 246, 437; 1995 a. 113; 2001 a. 27; 2005 a. 253; 2009 a. 276; 2011 a. 256.

346.70 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. Trans 100, Wis. adm. code.

346.70 Annotation Items subject to examination under sub. (4) (f) may not be withheld by the prosecution under the common law rule that investigative material may be withheld from a criminal defendant. State ex rel. Young v. Shaw, 165 Wis. 2d 276, 477 N.W.2d 340 (Ct. App. 1991).

346.70 Annotation The police department was allowed to release unredacted copies of accident reports requested by a newspaper pursuant to the “state law” exception to the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, which allows disclosure of personal information from state motor vehicle records for any other use specifically authorized under the law of the state that holds the record, if such use is related to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety. Sub. (4) (f) specifically mandates that law enforcement agencies provide the public with access to uniform traffic accident reports. That is a use specifically authorized under Wisconsin law and is related to the operation of a motor vehicle or public safety. New Richmond News v. City of New Richmond, 2016 WI App 43, 370 Wis. 2d 75, 881 N.W.2d 339, 14-1938.

346.70 Annotation A county sheriff’s department is not a consumer reporting agency subject to the fair credit reporting act for reports under sub. (4). However, the Federal Trade Commission has taken an opposite position. 63 Atty. Gen. 364.

346.71 346.71 Coroners or medical examiners to report; require blood specimen.

346.71(1) (1) Every coroner or medical examiner shall, on or before the 10th day of each month, report in writing any accident involving a motor vehicle occurring within the coroner’s or medical examiner’s jurisdiction resulting in the death of any person during the preceding calendar month. If the accident involved an all-terrain vehicle or utility terrain vehicle, the report shall be made to the department of natural resources and shall include the information specified by that department. If the accident involved an off-highway motorcycle, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), operated off the highways, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (y), the report shall be made to the department of natural resources and the department of transportation and shall include the information specified by each department. If the accident involved any other motor vehicle, the report shall be made to the department of transportation and shall include the information specified by that department. The coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurs, if the accident occurred in another jurisdiction, shall, immediately upon learning of the death, report it to the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred, as provided in s. 979.01 (1).

346.71(2) (2) In cases of death involving a motor vehicle in which the decedent was the operator of a motor vehicle, a pedestrian 14 years of age or older or a bicycle, electric scooter, or electric personal assistive mobility device operator 14 years of age or older and who died within 6 hours of the time of the accident, the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the death occurred shall require that a blood specimen of at least 10 cc. be withdrawn from the body of the decedent within 12 hours after his or her death, by the coroner or medical examiner or by a physician so designated by the coroner or medical examiner or by a qualified person at the direction of the physician. All funeral directors shall obtain a release from the coroner or medical examiner of the county where the accident occurred as provided in s. 979.01 (4) prior to proceeding with embalming any body coming under the scope of this section. The blood so drawn shall be forwarded to a laboratory approved by the department of health services for analysis of the alcoholic content of the blood specimen. The coroner or medical examiner causing the blood to be withdrawn shall be notified of the results of each analysis made and shall forward the results of each such analysis to the department of health services. If the death involved a motor vehicle, the department shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved. If the death involved an all-terrain vehicle, a utility terrain vehicle, or an off-highway motorcycle, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (q), that was being operated off the highways, as defined in s. 23.335 (1) (y), the department of natural resources shall keep a record of all such examinations to be used for statistical purposes only and the department of natural resources shall disseminate and make public the cumulative results of the examinations without identifying the individuals involved.

346.71(3) (3) In a case of death involving a motor vehicle in which the accident and the death occur in different counties, the county where the death occurs may charge the county where the accident occurs a reasonable fee for withdrawing the blood specimen from the body of the decedent as required under sub. (2).

346.71 History History: 1973 c. 272; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (a); 1977 c. 273; 1983 a. 485; 1985 a. 29; 1987 a. 302; 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19); 2001 a. 90; 2007 a. 20 s. 9121 (6) (a); 2011 a. 208; 2015 a. 170; 2019 a. 11.

346.71 Annotation Coroners’ blood test records under sub. (2) are not confidential. Test results are presumptively accurate. Staples v. Glienke, 142 Wis. 2d 19, 416 N.W.2d 920 (Ct. App. 1987).

346.72 346.72 Garages to keep record of repairs of accident damage. The person in charge of any garage or repair shop to which is brought any motor vehicle which shows evidence of having been involved in an accident shall keep a record of the date such vehicle is brought in and the nature of the repair, the name and address of the owner, and the make, year and registration number of the vehicle. Such record shall be kept in the place of business during business hours and shall be open to inspection by any traffic officer. Shop records normally kept by garages and repair shops are adequate for the purpose of this section if they contain the information specified in this section.

346.73 346.73 Accident reports not to be used in trial. Notwithstanding s. 346.70 (4) (f), accident reports required to be filed with or transmitted to the department or a county or municipal authority shall not be used as evidence in any judicial trial, civil or criminal, arising out of an accident, except that such reports may be used as evidence in any administrative proceeding conducted by the department. The department shall furnish upon demand of any person who has or claims to have made such a report, or upon demand of any court, a certificate showing that a specified accident report has or has not been made to the department solely to prove a compliance or a failure to comply with the requirement that such a report be made to the department.

346.73 History History: 1971 c. 253; 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (7) (a); 1993 a. 437.

346.74 346.74 Penalty for violating sections 346.67 to 346.73.

346.74(1) (1) Any person violating s. 346.72 may be required to forfeit not less than $20 nor more than $40 for the first offense and may be required to forfeit not less than $50 nor more than $100 for the 2nd or subsequent conviction within a year.