Chapter 86

86.191(1) (1) No person shall erect, or cause to be erected, any advertising, direction, guide, warning or other sign or marker within any public highway within a distance of 1,000 feet from the intersection of any 2 or more highways, when such intersection is beyond the corporate limits of any city or villages, unless permission is first obtained from the officials charged with the maintenance of such highways. The name of a newspaper on a newspaper tube or receptacle shall not be deemed to be any advertising, direction, guide, warning or other sign or marker within the meaning of this section.

86.191(2) (2) In case any person shall violate the provisions of this section, the authorities in charge of the maintenance of the highway upon which such violation occurs shall promptly remove such advertising, direction, guide, warning or other sign or marker.

86.191(3) (3) If any signs at present exist in the public right-of-way on any highway within 1,000 feet of the intersection of any 2 or more highways or streets beyond the limits of any incorporated city or village which are, in the opinion of the officials in charge of the maintenance of such highway, a menace to the safety of the public traveling along such highways, said officials shall notify the owners of such signs to remove the same, or to remove the danger producing features, and in case the owners do not do so, or in case the owners cannot be found with reasonable effort, the authorities in charge of said highway shall remove said signs from within the right-of-way.

86.191(4) (4) The triangles bounded by any 2 adjacent intersecting highways and a line drawn between the points on the center lines of said highways 1,000 feet from the intersection of their center lines, are declared prohibited ground for the erection of any danger producing advertising signs, when such intersection is beyond the corporate limits of any city or village. No advertising sign, design or insignia shall hereafter be erected within said triangles which will endanger the safety of the public traveling along any highways, and if there now exist in any such triangle any advertising signs, designs, or insignia endangering the safety of the public traveling along such highways, the authorities in charge of the maintenance of such highways shall take up the matter with the owner of the sign and with the owner of the land, and shall cause the same to be removed, or to be so altered as to remove the danger producing features. Within the same triangles the authorities in charge of maintaining any road shall require the property owner to minimize the obstruction to the view across the triangle insofar as is possible, and shall make such arrangements with the property owner as will make travel on the intersecting highways as safe as is reasonably possible.

86.191(5) (5) Any person who violates sub. (1), (3), or (4) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not less than $25 nor more than $100 for each offense, or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding 30 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment in the discretion of the court.

86.191(6) (6) 

86.191(6)(a) (a) In this subsection, “business entity” has the meaning given in s. 13.62 (5), but does not include any real estate broker or salesperson licensed under ch. 452 or any other individual selling real estate or personal property owned by the individual.

86.191(6)(b) (b) Subject to subs. (1) and (4) and s. 86.19, and except as provided in par. (d), no business entity may place, or cause to be placed, within a highway right-of-way any sign that advertises or promotes a business identified on the sign or a business whose telephone number or Internet website address appears on the sign.

86.191(6)(c) (c) If a sign described in par. (b) has been placed within a highway right-of-way and the business identified on the sign or whose telephone number or Internet website address appears on the sign had the sign made, there is a rebuttable presumption that this business caused the sign to be placed in violation of par. (b).

86.191(6)(d) (d) This subsection does not apply to any of the following:

86.191(6)(d)1. 1. Any sign placed with the permission of an official charged with the maintenance of the highway.

86.191(6)(d)2. 2. Any sign authorized under s. 60.23 (17m), 66.0429, 84.01 (30) (g), 84.30, 86.195, or 86.196.

86.191(6)(d)3. 3. The name of a newspaper on a newspaper tube or receptacle.

86.191(6)(d)4. 4. Any sign advertising a yard sale, garage sale, rummage sale, or similar event.

86.191(6)(d)5. 5. Any sign advertising an event associated with a church or school.

86.191(6)(e) (e) Any business entity violating this subsection is subject to a forfeiture of not more than $50 for each offense. Each sign placed in violation of par. (b) constitutes a separate offense.

86.191 History History: 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 490; 2009 a. 227; 2017 a. 365 s. 112.

86.191 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ss. Trans 200.02 and 200.04, Wis. adm. code.

86.192 86.192 Penalty for injuring guide board, markers, etc.

86.192(1) (1) No person may injure, deface or remove any sign, guide board, mile post, signal or marker erected by the state or by any municipality thereof for the warning, instruction or information of the public. The following warning shall be affixed to the front of each such sign, guide board, mile post, signal or marker: “WARNING: $25 to $100 fine or imprisonment for removing or tampering with this sign.”

86.192(1m) (1m) No person may possess any sign, guide board, mile post, signal or marker of the type erected by the state or by any municipality for the warning, instruction or information of the public, unless the person can demonstrate that he or she obtained it in a legal manner. Possession of such a sign, guide board, mile post, signal or marker creates a rebuttable presumption of illegal possession. In this subsection, “possession” means the presence of such a sign, guide board, mile post, signal or marker on premises owned or controlled by the person, including but not limited to a rented apartment, rented room or dormitory room. Persons who voluntarily notify a law enforcement agency of the presence on their premises of such a sign, guide board, mile post, signal or marker shall be exempt from prosecution under this subsection.

86.192(2) (2) Any person who violates this section shall be fined $25 for the first violation, $100 for a subsequent violation, or imprisoned not exceeding 30 days for the first violation, or 60 days for a subsequent violation, or both fined and imprisoned in the discretion of the court. The court may, in addition, order any such person either to restore or replace any such damaged sign, mile post, signal or marker, or to pay the cost thereof.

86.192(3) (3) On conviction of any person of a violation of this section, the person or persons who informed against and aided in the prosecution of such offense to conviction shall be paid by the court one-half of the amount of the fine paid into the court.

86.192(4) (4) Any person who violates this section is guilty of a Class H felony if the injury, defacement or removal causes the death of a person.

86.192 History History: 1975 c. 169, 421; 1997 a. 283; 2001 a. 109.

86.195 86.195 Specific information signs.

86.195(1) (1) Definitions. Unless defined differently in this section, the terms used in this section are defined in accordance with the manual of uniform traffic control devices adopted by the department under s. 84.02 (4) (e). In this section:

86.195(1)(am) (am) “Business” includes an attraction, whether public or private, described in sub. (3) (e).

86.195(1)(ar) (ar) “Business sign” means a separately attached sign mounted on the rectangular sign panel to show the brand, symbol, trademark, or name, or combination of these, for a motorist service available on a crossroad at or near an interchange or an intersection.

86.195(1)(c) (c) “Motorist service” means a business which qualifies under sub. (3).

86.195(1)(d) (d) “Specific information sign” means a rectangular sign panel which displays:

86.195(1)(d)1. 1. One or more of the words “GAS”, “FOOD”, “LODGING”, “CAMPING”, or “ATTRACTION”;

86.195(1)(d)2. 2. Directional information; and

86.195(1)(d)3. 3. One or more business signs.

86.195(2) (2) Signs and fees.

86.195(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (ag), the department may authorize the erection and maintenance of a specific information sign upon the request of any person within the right-of-way of a federal-aid primary highway or within the right-of-way of a federal-aid secondary highway under the jurisdiction of the department, except that no specific information sign may be erected within any city, village or town unless the specific information sign is erected in compliance with rules promulgated by the department for such signs in a city, village or town.

86.195(2)(ag) (ag) On and after May 8, 1990, the department may not authorize the erection of a specific information sign under par. (a) unless the highway is one of the following highways under the jurisdiction of the department:

86.195(2)(ag)1. 1. I 43 from I 90 at Beloit to USH 41 at Green Bay.

86.195(2)(ag)2. 2. I 90 from the state line in Rock County to the state line in La Crosse County.

86.195(2)(ag)3. 3. I 94 from the state line in Kenosha County to the state line in St. Croix County.

86.195(2)(ag)4. 4. STH 11 from STH 81 west of Monroe to STH 50 at Delavan.

86.195(2)(ag)5. 5. STH 11 from I 43 at Elkhorn to STH 32 at Racine.

86.195(2)(ag)6. 6. STH 13 from STH 97 at Marshfield to STH 182 at Park Falls.

86.195(2)(ag)7. 7. STH 16 from STH 67 at Oconomowoc to I 94 at Waukesha.

86.195(2)(ag)8. 8. STH 21 from I 94 north of Tomah to CTH “Z” in the town of Strongs Prairie in Adams County and from STH 13 north of the village of Friendship in Adams County to I 41 at Oshkosh.

86.195(2)(ag)9. 9. STH 23 from STH 44 at Ripon to I 43 at Sheboygan.

86.195(2)(ag)10. 10. STH 26 from I 90 at Janesville to USH 41 south of Oshkosh.

86.195(2)(ag)11. 11. STH 29 from I 41 at Green Bay to I 94 northwest of Elk Mound.

86.195(2)(ag)12. 12. STH 33 from I 41 at Allenton to STH 32 at Port Washington.

86.195(2)(ag)13. 13. STH 36 from STH 50 at Springfield to STH 100 southwest of Milwaukee.

86.195(2)(ag)14. 14. STH 50 from STH 120 at Lake Geneva to STH 32 at Kenosha.

86.195(2)(ag)15. 15. USH 53 from I 94 at Eau Claire to I 535 at Superior.

86.195(2)(ag)16. 16. STH 57 from I 43 at Green Bay to Sturgeon Bay.

86.195(2)(ag)16m. 16m. STH 172 from I 43 southeast of Green Bay to I 41 at Ashwaubenon.

86.195(2)(ag)17. 17. USH 2 from USH 53 east of Superior to the state line in Iron County.

86.195(2)(ag)18. 18. USH 8 from the state line in Polk County to USH 53 west of Cameron.

86.195(2)(ag)19. 19. USH 8 from USH 51 southeast of Bradley to STH 47 at Monico.

86.195(2)(ag)20. 20. USH 10 from STH 13 south of Marshfield to STH 42 at Manitowoc.

86.195(2)(ag)21. 21. USH 12 from the state line in Walworth County to STH 67 north of Elkhorn.

86.195(2)(ag)22. 22. USH 12 from I 90 east of Madison to I 90 north of Wisconsin Dells.

86.195(2)(ag)23. 23. USH 18 from STH 35 at Prairie du Chien to USH 151 east of Dodgeville.

86.195(2)(ag)24. 24. USH 41 from STH 181 at Milwaukee to the state line in Marinette County.

86.195(2)(ag)25. 25. USH 45 from I 41 at Richfield to STH 28 at Kewaskum.

86.195(2)(ag)26. 26. USH 45 from I 41 at the city of Oshkosh to USH 8 at Monico.

86.195(2)(ag)27. 27. USH 51 from STH 78 north of Portage to USH 2 at Hurley.

86.195(2)(ag)28. 28. USH 63 from I 94 south of Baldwin to USH 2 west of Ashland.

86.195(2)(ag)29. 29. STH 64 from the state line in St. Croix County to the easternmost junction with USH 63 east of New Richmond.

86.195(2)(ag)30. 30. USH 78 from I 90 south of Portage to USH 51 north of Portage.

86.195(2)(ag)31. 31. USH 141 from I 43 northwest of Green Bay to the state line in Marinette County.

86.195(2)(ag)32. 32. USH 151 from STH 11 south of Dickeyville to CTH “WH” northeast of Fond du Lac in Fond du Lac County.

86.195(2)(ag)33. 33. STH 441 between the Roland Kampo Bridge and I 41 in the city of Appleton, designated as the Tri-County Expressway, in Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago counties.

86.195(2)(ag)34. 34. USH 53 from I 90 at the city of Onalaska to STH 35 north of Holmen.

86.195(2)(ag)35. 35. USH 14 from USH 12/18 at Madison to STH 138 at Oregon.

86.195(2)(ag)36. 36. USH 12 from CTH “P” southeast of the city of Whitewater in Walworth County to Tri-County Road in Rock County.

86.195(2)(b) (b)

86.195(2)(b)1. 1. Subject to sub. (4) (c), upon the request of any person, the department may authorize the installation and maintenance of a business sign on an existing specific information sign.

86.195(2)(b)3. 3. The person requesting installation of a business sign shall provide, at his or her expense, a business sign which meets specifications established by the department.

86.195(2)(b)4. 4. Nothing in this section prohibits a person requesting installation of a business sign under sub. (3) (e) from advertising or displaying information on any sign under s. 84.30, subject to any limitation on such signs under s. 84.30.

86.195(2)(c) (c) A person who requests the erection or installation of a sign under par. (a) or (b) shall pay to the department an annual permit fee of $40 to cover administrative costs and the cost of inspection of the signs erected or installed under this section. In addition, the person requesting a sign under par. (a) or (b) shall pay a fee for the manufacture, installation and maintenance of the specific information sign and the installation and maintenance of the business sign.

86.195(2)(d) (d) The department shall contract for the erection, installation and maintenance of signs under this section. The department may require the contractor to provide liability insurance for purposes of this section.

86.195(3) (3) Motorist services. Specific information signs may only include business signs for the following categories of motorist services: “GAS”, “FOOD”, “LODGING”, “CAMPING”, and “ATTRACTION”. To qualify for display on a specific information sign a business must meet the following standards for the respective category of motorist service:

86.195(3)(a) (a) “GAS” shall have:

86.195(3)(a)1. 1. Vehicle services including fuel, oil and water;

86.195(3)(a)2. 2. Restroom facilities and drinking water;

86.195(3)(a)3. 3. Continuous operation of at least 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for freeways and expressways, and continuous operation of at least 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for other highways, provided automotive fuel is available under the energy fuel allocation program established under P.L. 93-159; and

86.195(3)(a)4. 4. Public telephone.

86.195(3)(b) (b) “FOOD” shall have:

86.195(3)(b)1. 1. Licensing or approval, where required:

86.195(3)(b)2. 2. Regular operation at least 5 days a week, opening for service no later than 10 a.m. and remaining open until at least 7 p.m.;