LRB-0868/1
JEO:kmg:ks
1995 - 1996 LEGISLATURE
March 5, 1996 - Introduced by Senators Drzewiecki, Cowles, Darling, Weeden,
Panzer, Fitzgerald, Buettner, Rude
and Schultz, cosponsored by
Representatives Gard, Musser, Schneiders, Kaufert, Seratti, Kelso,
Ainsworth, Jensen, Green, Duff, Goetsch, Lehman, Freese, Ladwig
and
Albers. Referred to Committee on Business, Economic Development and
Urban Affairs.
SB597,2,2 1An Act to repeal 111.335 (1) (cm), 134.59 (title), (1) and (3) and 440.26 (7) (title);
2to renumber and amend 134.59 (2), 440.26 (1), 440.26 (1m), 440.26 (2) (c),
3440.26 (5), 440.26 (6) and 440.26 (7) (a); to amend 114.103 (1) (c), subchapter
4II (title) of chapter 440 [precedes 440.26], 440.26 (2) (a) 1., 440.26 (2) (a) 2.,
5440.26 (4), 440.26 (5) (title), 440.26 (8), 940.34 (2) (c) 1. and 941.237 (1) (em); to
6repeal and recreate
440.26 (2) (a) (intro.); and to create 111.335 (1) (cg),
7440.08 (2) (a) 14d., 440.08 (2) (a) 41m., 440.08 (2) (a) 60m., 440.08 (2) (a) 63g.,
8440.26 (1) (e), (em) and (f), 440.26 (1m) (a), (b), (br) and (c), 440.26 (2) (a) 3., 3m.
9and 4., 440.26 (2) (c) 3., 440.26 (3m), 440.26 (4g), 440.26 (4r), 440.26 (5m),
10440.26 (6) (a) 4., 440.26 (6) (b) and 440.26 (7m) of the statutes; relating to: the
11regulation of armored transport services, locksmiths and private alarm con
12tractors; the requirements that a person must satisfy to be eligible for a private
13detective license, a private detective agency license, a private security permit
14or a license to supply private security personnel; transferring the authority to
15issue private security permits for private security persons from local law

1enforcement authorities to the department of regulation and licensing; grant
2ing rule-making authority; and providing a penalty.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, a person must be licensed by the department of regulation
and licensing (DORL) to operate a private detective agency, act as a private detective
or private security person, or act as a supplier of private security personnel. DORL
issues 2 kinds of licenses to cover these activities: 1) a private detective agency li
cense; and 2) a private detective license. A person who owns or operates an agency
is not required to have a private detective license to be eligible for a private detective
agency license unless he or she is actually engaged in private detective work. Cur
rent law prohibits DORL from issuing a private detective agency license or private
detective license to a person who has been convicted of a felony within the 5-year peri
od following the conviction if the circumstances of the conviction are substantially
related to the licensed activity.
Current law also exempts the following private security persons from the pri
vate detective agency and private detective licensing requirements: 1) a private secu
rity person who is employed by the state, a municipality, a railroad company or a com
mercial establishment, if the person operates exclusively on the employer's
premises; 2) a person who is engaged in his or her duties as an employe of a licensed
detective or security agency that is in the business of supplying uniformed security
personnel to patrol exclusively on the private property of industrial plants, busi
nesses, schools, colleges, hospitals, sports stadiums, exhibits or similar places, if he
or she gets a private security permit from the chief of police or other designated law
enforcement official of the municipality in which his or her employment activities
take place. A private security permit may not be issued to a person who has been
convicted of a felony in this state or elsewhere within the 5-year period following the
conviction if the circumstances of the conviction are substantially related to the ac
tivity allowed by the permit.
Finally, current law does not require locksmiths, persons providing armored
transport services or persons selling, installing, servicing, monitoring or responding
to private alarms, such as burglar alarms, to be licensed. However, current law does
prohibit any person from intentionally hiring as a burglar alarm installer a person
who has been convicted of a felony and who has not been pardoned. Current law also
prohibits a person engaged in the business of installing burglar alarms from inten
tionally allowing a person who has been convicted of a felony, and who has not been
pardoned, to have access to individual burglar alarm installation records. Any per
son who violates these prohibitions may be required to forfeit not more than $1,000.
This bill makes the following changes to the regulation of private detectives,
private detective agencies, private security persons, armored transport services,
locksmiths and private alarm contractors:
1. The bill requires any person who acts or solicits business as an armored
transport service, a locksmith or a private alarm contractor to be licensed by DORL.

To be eligible for a license, an armored transport service, locksmith or private alarm
contractor must meet qualifications specified by DORL by rule and the qualifications
specified in item 5, below. A person who violates the bill's requirement that armored
transport services, locksmiths and private alarm contractors be licensed may be
fined not less than $100 nor more than $500 and imprisoned for not less than 3
months nor more than 6 months. In addition, any licensed armored transport ser
vice, locksmith or private alarm contractor who violates a law, engages in conduct
reflecting adversely on his or her professional qualifications or makes a false state
ment in applying for a license may have his or her license revoked, suspended or lim
ited or may be subject to a reprimand by DORL.
2. The bill requires a person who owns or operates a private detective agency
to be licensed as a private detective.
3. The bill retains the current exemption from licensing for a private security
person who is employed by the state, a municipality, a railroad company or a commer
cial establishment, but the bill changes the scope of the exemption by providing that
it applies to the person whenever and wherever he or she is acting within the scope
of his or her employment, and not, as under current law, only if he or she operates
exclusively on the employer's premises.
4. The bill transfers the responsibility for issuing a private security permit from
local law enforcement officials to DORL. The bill requires DORL to collect the same
information and to maintain records of applications for and the issuance of private
security permits. The bill provides that a permit issued by DORL authorizes the per
mit holder to act as a private security person anywhere in this state while engaged
in his or her duties as an employe of a licensed agency that supplies personnel to pa
trol exclusively on specified types of private property. The bill also provides for
DORL to set appropriate fees and to discipline a permit holder for just cause.
5. The bill prohibits DORL from issuing a private detective license, a private
detective agency license, an armored transport service license, a locksmith license,
a private alarm contractor license or a private security permit to a person who has
been convicted of a felony in this state or elsewhere and who has not been pardoned,
regardless of when the person was convicted or whether the circumstances of the con
viction are substantially related to the licensed activity. In addition, the bill prohib
its any licensed private detective, private detective agency, armored transport ser
vice, locksmith or private alarm contractor from employing or being managed by a
person who has been convicted of a felony and has not been pardoned, regardless of
when the person was convicted or whether the circumstances of the conviction are
substantially related to the person's employment. Finally, the bill prohibits the
state, a municipality, a railroad company or a commercial establishment from em
ploying as a private security person a person who has been convicted of a felony and
has not been pardoned, regardless of when the person was convicted or whether the
circumstances of the conviction are substantially related to the person's employ
ment.
6. The bill requires a person who is licensed as a private detective, private de
tective agency, armored transport company, locksmith or private alarm contractor
and a person who has been issued a private security permit to notify DORL if he or

she is convicted of a crime or found to have violated a state or local law which is pun
ishable by a forfeiture.
7. The bill requires DORL to promulgate rules relating to the carrying of dan
gerous weapons by private detectives, private security persons and persons licensed
as or employed by armored transport services, private alarm contractors, locksmiths
or private detective agencies. The rules promulgated by DORL under the bill must
meet the minimum requirements specified under federal law relating to the armored
car industry.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be
printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB597, s. 1 1Section 1. 111.335 (1) (cg) of the statutes is created to read:
SB597,4,42 111.335 (1) (cg) 1. Notwithstanding s. 111.322, it is not employment discrimina
3tion because of conviction record to deny or refuse to renew a license or permit under
4s. 440.26 to a person who has been convicted of a felony and has not been pardoned.
SB597,4,85 2. Notwithstanding s. 111.322, it is not employment discrimination because of
6conviction record to refuse to employ a person who has been convicted of a felony and
7has not been pardoned in a business licensed under s. 440.26 or as an employe speci
8fied in s. 440.26 (5) (b).
SB597, s. 2 9Section 2. 111.335 (1) (cm) of the statutes is repealed.
SB597, s. 3 10Section 3. 114.103 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB597,4,1211 114.103 (1) (c) "Private security person" has the meaning given in s. 440.26
12(1m) (d), but does not include any law enforcement officer.
SB597, s. 4 13Section 4. 134.59 (title), (1) and (3) of the statutes are repealed.
SB597, s. 5 14Section 5. 134.59 (2) of the statutes is renumbered 440.26 (4g) (c) and amended
15to read:
SB597,5,216 440.26 (4g) (c) No person engaged in the business of installing burglar alarms
17private alarm contractor or employe of a private alarm contractor may intentionally

1allow a felon who has not been pardoned to have access to individual burglar alarm
2system installation records.
SB597, s. 6 3Section 6. 440.08 (2) (a) 14d. of the statutes is created to read:
SB597,5,54 440.08 (2) (a) 14d. Armored transport service: September 1 of each even-num
5bered year; $41.
SB597, s. 7 6Section 7. 440.08 (2) (a) 41m. of the statutes is created to read:
SB597,5,77 440.08 (2) (a) 41m. Locksmith: September 1 of each even-numbered year; $41.
SB597, s. 8 8Section 8. 440.08 (2) (a) 60m. of the statutes is created to read:
SB597,5,109 440.08 (2) (a) 60m. Private alarm contractor: September 1 of each even-num
10bered year; $41.
SB597, s. 9 11Section 9. 440.08 (2) (a) 63g. of the statutes is created to read:
SB597,5,1312 440.08 (2) (a) 63g. Private security person: September 1 of each even-num
13bered year; $41.
SB597, s. 10 14Section 10. Subchapter II (title) of chapter 440 [precedes 440.26] of the stat
15utes is amended to read:
SB597,5,1616 CHAPTER 440
SB597,5,2117 SUBCHAPTER II
18 PRIVATE DETECTIVES,
19 private security persons,
20 armored transport services, locksmiths and
21 private alarm contractors
SB597, s. 11 22Section 11. 440.26 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 440.26 (1) (intro.) and
23amended to read:
SB597,5,2524 440.26 (1) License or permit required. (intro.) No person may advertise do
25any of the following unless he or she has a license or permit issued under this section:
SB597,6,2
1(a) Advertise, solicit or engage in the business of operating a private detective
2agency, or act.
SB597,6,4 3(b) Act as a private detective, investigator, special investigator or private secu
4rity person, or act.
SB597,6,5 5(c) Act as a supplier of private security personnel , or solicit.
SB597,6,7 6(d) Solicit business or perform any other type of service or investigation as a
7private detective or private security person, or receive .
SB597,6,12 8(g) Receive any fees or compensation for acting as such, without first filing an
9application and the necessary bond or liability policy with the department and being
10issued a license or a permit under this section. No person may be so licensed unless
11the person is over 18 years of age
any person, engaging in any business or performing
12any service specified in pars. (a) to (f)
.
SB597, s. 12 13Section 12. 440.26 (1) (e), (em) and (f) of the statutes are created to read:
SB597,6,1514 440.26 (1) (e) Act as an armored transport service or solicit business or perform
15any type of service as an armored transport service.
SB597,6,1716 (em) Act as a locksmith or solicit business or perform any type of service as a
17locksmith.
SB597,6,1918 (f) Act as a private alarm contractor or solicit business or perform any type of
19service as a private alarm contractor.
SB597, s. 13 20Section 13. 440.26 (1m) of the statutes is renumbered 440.26 (1m) (intro.) and
21amended to read:
SB597,6,2222 440.26 (1m) (title) Definition Definitions. (intro.) In this section, "private:
SB597,6,24 23(d) "Private security person" or "private security personnel" means any private
24police, guard or any person who stands watch for security purposes.
SB597, s. 14 25Section 14. 440.26 (1m) (a), (b), (br) and (c) of the statutes are created to read:
SB597,7,5
1440.26 (1m) (a) "Armored transport service" means a person engaged in the
2business of transporting valuables, including currency, documents, papers, maps,
3negotiable instruments, securities, jewelry or works of art in a manner that provides
4or that is primarily intended or designed to provide a high degree of security to the
5valuables being transported.
SB597,7,96 (b) "Burglar alarm system" means a system, including an electronic access sys
7tem or other electronic security system, that activates an audible, visible or remote
8signal that requires a response and that is designed for the prevention or detection
9of intrusion, entry, theft, vandalism or trespass.
SB597,7,1410 (br) "Locksmith" means a person engaged in the business of servicing, instal
11ling, receding, recombinating, manipulating, bypassing or originating first keys for
12any mechanical or electronic locking device that is used to control access to or exit
13from premises, vehicles, vaults, safe deposit boxes, automatic teller machines or oth
14er areas to which access is intended to be limited.
SB597,7,2115 (c) "Private alarm contractor" means a person engaged in the business of sel
16ling, installing, monitoring, maintaining, altering, repairing, replacing, servicing or
17responding to security alarm systems, including burglar alarm systems, that are
18installed at a premises protected on an emergency basis. "Private alarm contractor"
19does not include a person engaged solely in the manufacture or sale of security alarm
20systems at his or her place of business or a person engaged solely in supplying private
21security personnel to patrol a protected premises.
SB597, s. 15 22Section 15. 440.26 (2) (a) (intro.) of the statutes is repealed and recreated to
23read:
SB597,7,2524 440.26 (2) (a) Types of licenses. (intro.) The department may do any of the fol
25lowing:
SB597, s. 16
1Section 16. 440.26 (2) (a) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB597,8,72 440.26 (2) (a) 1. A Issue a private detective agency license may be issued to
3an individual, partnership, limited liability company or corporation . An that meets
4the qualifications specified under par. (c) if the
individual, the members of a the part
5nership or limited liability company and or the officers or directors of a the corpora
6tion, having have a private detective agency license, are not required to have a pri
7vate detective license unless actually engaged in the work of a private detective
.
Loading...
Loading...