Chapter 100

100.313(1)(c) (c) “Solicit” means to directly advertise or market through writing or graphics and via mail, telefax, or electronic mail to an individually identified person, residence, or business location. “Solicit” does not include any of the following:

100.313(1)(c)1. 1. Communicating through a mass advertisement, including a catalog, a radio or television broadcast, or a website.

100.313(1)(c)2. 2. Communicating via telephone, mail, or electronic communication, if initiated by the consumer.

100.313(1)(c)3. 3. Advertising and marketing to those with whom the solicitor has a preexisting business relationship.

100.313(1)(d) (d) “State agency” means any office, department, or independent agency in the executive branch of Wisconsin state government, the legislature, and the courts.

100.313(2) (2) A business or individual soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a record shall state on the top of the document used for the solicitation, in at least 24-point type, all of the following:

100.313(2)(a) (a) That the solicitation is not from a state agency or local unit of government.

100.313(2)(b) (b) That no action is legally required by the person being solicited.

100.313(2)(c) (c) The fee for, or the cost of, obtaining a copy of the record from the state agency or local unit of government that has custody of the record.

100.313(2)(d) (d) The information necessary to contact the state agency or local unit of government that has custody of the record.

100.313(2)(e) (e) The name and physical address of the business or individual soliciting the fee.

100.313(4) (4) The document used for a solicitation under this section may not be in a form or use deadline dates or other language that makes the document appear to be a document issued by a state agency or local unit of government or that appears to impose a legal duty on the person being solicited. The department may promulgate rules specifying the contents and form of the solicitation document.

100.313(5) (5) A business or individual soliciting a fee for providing a copy of a record may not charge a fee of more than 4 times the amount charged by the state agency or local unit of government that has custody of the record for a copy of the same record.

100.313(6) (6) A business or individual soliciting a fee from property owners for providing a copy of a deed shall furnish the office of the register of deeds of each county where the solicitations are to be distributed with a copy of the document that will be used for those solicitations not less than 15 days before distributing the solicitations.

100.313(7) (7) The department may investigate violations of this section. The department may bring an action or request that the department of justice or a district attorney bring an action against any person who violates this section. The court may order the person who violates this section to refund all of the moneys paid to the violator and to forfeit, for a first violation, not more than $100 for each solicitation document distributed in violation of this section, and not more than $200 for each solicitation document distributed in violation of this section subsequent to the first violation.

100.313(8) (8) This section does not apply to a title insurance company authorized to do business in this state or its authorized agent.

100.313 History History: 2013 a. 247.

100.315 100.315 Solicitation of contract using check or money order.

100.315(1) (1) In this section, “check” means any check, draft, money order, traveler’s check, personal money order, or other instrument for the transmission or payment of money.

Effective date note NOTE: Sub. (1) is shown as amended eff. 1-1-25 by 2023 Wis. Act 267. Prior to 1-1-25 it reads:

Effective date text (1) In this section, “check” has the meaning given in s. 217.02 (2).

100.315(2) (2) 

100.315(2)(a) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), no person may solicit the purchase of goods or services by delivering to a recipient in this state a document that is or appears to be a check payable to the recipient, if the endorsement of the document purports to bind the recipient to purchasing goods or services and the recipient did not request the delivery of the document.

100.315(2)(b) (b) A person may offer an extension of credit by delivering to a recipient in this state a document described in par. (a) only if all of the following apply:

100.315(2)(b)1. 1. The document contains, on its face, both of the following:

100.315(2)(b)1.a. a. In at least 24-point type, a statement in substantially the following form: “THIS IS A SOLICITATION FOR A LOAN. READ THE ATTACHED DISCLOSURES BEFORE SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT.”

100.315(2)(b)1.b. b. In at least 10-point type, a statement in substantially the following form: “By endorsing the back of this check, you accept our offer and agree to the terms of your loan agreement contained in the disclosure statement attached to this check.”

100.315(2)(b)2. 2. Notification of the loan agreement being activated by endorsement is conspicuously printed in at least 10-point type on the back of the check in substantially the following form: “By endorsing this check, you agree to repay this loan according to the terms of the attached loan agreement.”

100.315(2)(b)3. 3. The check is attached to a disclosure statement that is detachable and that contains in at least 14-point boldface type a statement that is conspicuously placed and is in substantially the following form: “This is a loan solicitation. If you cash this check, you are agreeing to borrow the sum of $ .... at the ....% rate of interest for a period of .... months. Your monthly payments will be $ .... for .... months. If you are late with a payment, you will be charged the following fees in addition to your monthly payment: (list fees). All other terms of this loan are clearly identified as loan terms and appear on the back of the check or on this attachment. Read these terms carefully before you cash this check. Cashing this check constitutes a loan transaction. You may cancel this loan by returning the amount of the check to the lender within 10 days of the date on which this check is cashed. You may prepay this loan agreement at anytime without penalty. READ THE AGREEMENT BEFORE SIGNING.”

100.315(2)(b)4. 4. Within 3 business days after the date on which the check is processed by the lender’s financial institution following negotiation of the check by the recipient, the lender who issued the check verbally discloses to the recipient the terms and conditions of the extension of credit and permits the recipient to return to the lender the amount borrowed. If the recipient returns the amount borrowed within 5 business days after the check is processed by the lender’s financial institution following negotiation of the check by the recipient, the lender may not assess the recipient any penalty, finance charge, interest, or fee, and the lender may not take any action on the basis of the return that would affect the recipient’s credit score.

100.315(2g) (2g) In the event a check described under sub. (2) (b) is obtained by a person other than the intended payee, and the check is cashed fraudulently or without authorization from the payee, the lender who issued the check shall do all of the following:

100.315(2g)(a) (a) Upon receipt of notification that intended payee did not negotiate the check, promptly provide the intended payee with a statement or affidavit to be signed by the intended payee confirming that the intended payee did not deposit or cash the check or receive the proceeds of the check. The lender shall provide the intended payee with the name and telephone number of a contact person designated by the lender to provide assistance to intended payees who have been victimized by the fraudulent negotiation of unsolicited checks and cease all collection activity against the intended payee until the lender completes an investigation into the transaction.

100.315(2g)(b) (b) Direct the intended payee to complete and return the confirmation statement to the lender or an affiliate of the lender.

100.315(2g)(c) (c) Within 30 days of the receipt of the confirmation statement, conduct a reasonable investigation to determine whether the check was fraudulently negotiated. Absent evidence to the contrary, the lender shall presume that the confirmation statement submitted by the intended payee is accurate. The lender shall notify the intended payee in writing of the results of the investigation. If it is determined that the check was cashed fraudulently, the lender shall take immediate action to remove the intended payee from all liability on the account and to request all credit reporting agencies to remove references to the transaction, if any, from the intended payee’s credit reports.

100.315(2m) (2m) A consumer who is an intended payee of an unsolicited check under this section may bring an action against the violator to recover damages, costs, and, notwithstanding s. 814.04 (1), reasonable attorney fees.

100.315(2r) (2r) This section does not apply to a transaction in which the recipient of a check described under sub. (2) (b) has submitted an application or requested an extension of credit from the lender before receiving the check or instrument.

100.315(3) (3) The department shall investigate violations of this section and may bring an action against a person who violates this section to recover a forfeiture of not more than $100 for each solicitation sent in violation of this section, except that the forfeiture may not exceed $10,000 for each 7-day period in which the person violates this section.

100.315 History History: 2009 a. 150; 2017 a. 365 s. 111; 2023 a. 267.

100.33 100.33 Plastic container labeling.

100.33(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

100.33(1)(a) (a) “Beverage” means any alcohol beverage, as defined in s. 125.02 (1), malt beverage, tea, bottled drinking water, as defined under s. 97.34 (1) (a), soda water beverage, as defined under s. 97.34 (1) (b), or fruit or vegetable juice or drink which is intended for human consumption.

100.33(1)(ad) (ad) “Blister pack” means a container in which an item has a covering of plastic film or preformed semirigid plastic and the covering is affixed to a rigid backing.

100.33(1)(ag) (ag) “Bottle” means a plastic container the neck of which is smaller than its body, with a screw-on or press-on lid.

100.33(1)(ar) (ar) “Labeling” means attaching information to or embossing or printing information on a plastic container.

100.33(1)(b) (b) “Material recovery” means the reuse, recycling, reclamation, composting or other recovery of useful materials from solid waste, with or without treatment.

100.33(1)(c) (c) “Plastic container” means an individual, separate, rigid plastic bottle, can, jar or carton, except for a blister pack, that is originally used to contain a product that is the subject of a retail sale, as defined under s. 100.30 (2) (h).

100.33(1)(d) (d) “Reclamation” means the treatment of solid waste and its return to productive use in a form or for a use that is different from its original form or use.

100.33(1)(e) (e) “Recycling” means the treatment of solid waste and its return to productive use in a form and for a use that is the same as or similar to the original form and use.

100.33(1)(f) (f) “Reuse” means the return of solid waste to productive use without treatment and without changing its form or use.

100.33(1)(g) (g) “Sales at retail” has the meaning given in s. 100.30 (2) (h).

100.33(1)(h) (h) “Sales at wholesale” has the meaning given in s. 100.30 (2) (i).

100.33(2) (2) Labeling rules required. The department shall promulgate rules establishing labeling requirements for plastic containers. The requirements shall be designed to provide information needed by operators of material recovery programs to facilitate the recycling, reclamation or reuse of plastic containers. The rules promulgated under this subsection shall permit a manufacturer of plastic containers and a person who places products in plastic containers to choose an appropriate method of labeling plastic containers. The department shall make an effort to develop rules which are consistent, to the greatest extent practicable, with national industry-wide plastic container coding systems. The rules shall exempt from the labeling requirements plastic containers that are readily identifiable because of their appearance.

100.33(3) (3) Prohibition.

100.33(3)(a) (a) Sale of plastic beverage bottles. On and after January 1, 1991, no person may sell or offer for sale at wholesale in this state a plastic beverage bottle with a capacity of 8 fluid ounces or more, or a beverage in such a plastic bottle, unless the bottle complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2). On and after January 1, 1992, no person may sell or offer for sale at retail in this state a plastic beverage bottle with a capacity of 8 fluid ounces or more, or a beverage in such a plastic bottle, unless the bottle complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2).

100.33(3)(b) (b) Sale of other plastic bottles.

100.33(3)(b)1. 1. On and after January 1, 1991, no person may sell or offer for sale at wholesale in this state any plastic bottle with a capacity of 16 fluid ounces or more, or a product in such a plastic bottle, unless the bottle complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2). On and after January 1, 1992, no person may sell or offer for sale at retail in this state any plastic bottle with a capacity of 16 fluid ounces or more, or a product in such a plastic bottle, unless the bottle complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2).

100.33(3)(b)2. 2. On and after January 1, 1993, no person may sell or offer for sale at wholesale in this state any plastic bottle with a capacity of at least 8 fluid ounces but less than 16 fluid ounces, or a product in such a plastic bottle, unless the bottle complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2). On and after January 1, 1994, no person may sell or offer for sale at retail in this state any plastic bottle with a capacity of at least 8 fluid ounces but less than 16 fluid ounces, or a product in such a plastic bottle, unless the bottle complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2).

100.33(3)(b)3. 3. Subdivisions 1. and 2. do not apply to the sale or offer to sell of plastic beverage bottles or beverages in plastic bottles.

100.33(3)(c) (c) Sale of other plastic containers.

100.33(3)(c)1. 1. On and after January 1, 1991, no person may sell or offer for sale at wholesale in this state any plastic container with a capacity of 16 fluid ounces or more, or a product in such a plastic container, unless the container complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2). On and after January 1, 1992, no person may sell or offer for sale at retail in this state any plastic container with a capacity of 16 fluid ounces or more, or a product in such a plastic container, unless the container complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2).

100.33(3)(c)2. 2. On and after January 1, 1992, no person may sell or offer for sale at wholesale in this state any plastic container with a capacity of at least 8 fluid ounces but less than 16 fluid ounces, or a product in such a plastic container, unless the container complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2). On and after January 1, 1993, no person may sell or offer for sale at retail in this state any plastic container with a capacity of at least 8 fluid ounces but less than 16 fluid ounces, or a product in such a plastic container, unless the container complies with the labeling requirements under sub. (2).

100.33(3)(c)3. 3. Subdivisions 1. and 2. do not apply to the sale or offer to sell of any plastic bottles or any products in plastic bottles.

100.33(3m) (3m) Variances. Upon request, the department may grant a variance to a prohibition in sub. (3) for up to one year for a type of plastic container. The department may renew a variance. The department may only grant a variance if it is not technologically possible to label the plastic container.

100.33(4) (4) Penalty. Any person who violates sub. (3) shall forfeit not more than $500 for each violation. Each day of violation constitutes a separate offense.

100.33 History History: 1987 a. 293, 403; 1989 a. 31, 335.

100.33 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. ATCP 137.11, Wis. adm. code.

100.335 100.335 Child’s containers containing bisphenol A.

100.335(1) (1) In this section, “child’s container” means an empty baby bottle or spill-proof cup primarily intended by the manufacturer for use by a child 3 years of age or younger.

100.335(2) (2) No person may manufacture or sell, or offer for sale, at wholesale in this state a child’s container that contains bisphenol A. A manufacturer or wholesaler who sells or offers for sale in this state a child’s container that is intended for retail sale shall ensure the container is conspicuously labeled as not containing bisphenol A. A manufacturer or wholesaler who sells or offers for sale in this state a child’s container that is not intended for retail sale shall do one of the following:

100.335(2)(a) (a) Ensure that the container is conspicuously labeled as not containing bisphenol A.

100.335(2)(b) (b) Confirm to the buyer that the container does not contain bisphenol A.

100.335(3) (3) No person may sell, or offer for sale, at retail in this state a child’s container that contains bisphenol A. A person who sells or offers for sale at retail in this state a child’s container shall ensure the container is conspicuously labeled as not containing bisphenol A.

100.335(4) (4) 

100.335(4)(a) (a) The department may commence an action in the name of the state to restrain by temporary or permanent injunction a violation of this section.

100.335(4)(b) (b) The department or a district attorney may commence an action in the name of the state to recover a forfeiture to the state of not less than $100 nor more than $10,000 for each violation of sub. (2). A person who violates sub. (2) may be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year in the county jail or both.

100.335(4)(c) (c) The department or a district attorney may commence an action in the name of the state to recover a forfeiture to the state of not less than $50 nor more than $200 for each violation of sub. (3).

100.335(4)(d) (d) For purposes of this subsection, each child’s container manufactured, sold, or offered for sale in violation of this section constitutes a separate violation.

100.335(5) (5) The department may, after notice and opportunity for hearing under s. 93.18, order a manufacturer or seller of a child’s container in violation of this section to recall the container or to repair any defects in a container that has been sold. No person may refuse to comply with an order under this subsection.

100.335(6) (6) This section does not apply to the sale of a used child’s container.

100.335(7) (7) If a court imposes a fine or forfeiture for a violation of this section, the court shall impose a bisphenol A surcharge under ch. 814 equal to 50 percent of the amount of the fine or forfeiture.

100.335 History History: 2009 a. 145.

100.35 100.35 Furs to be labeled.

100.35(1) (1) No person shall sell or offer or display for sale any coat, jacket or other garment made wholly or partially of fur without having attached thereto and conspicuously displayed a tag or label bearing in plain print in English the species of fur or pelt used therein. This section shall not apply to such garments as are displayed or offered for sale or sold at a price of less than $50.

100.35(2) (2) Any person violating this section shall be punished as in s. 100.26 (1).

100.36 100.36 Frauds; substitute for butter; advertisement. No person may use the word “butter” in any way in connection or association with the sale or exposure for sale or advertisement of any substance designed to be used as a substitute for butter. No person may use terms such as “cream”, “creamery” or “dairy”, or the name or representation of any breed of dairy cattle, or any combination of such words and representation, or any other words or symbols or combinations thereof commonly used in the sale of butter unless at least 40 percent of the substitute is butterfat. If the term “butter” is used in connection with the name of any such product, it shall be qualified so as to distinguish it from butter as defined in s. 97.01 (1r).

100.36 History History: 1983 a. 189 s. 329 (20); 1991 a. 111; 2013 a. 374; 2015 a. 55.

100.37 100.37 Hazardous substances act.

100.37(1) (1) In this section:

100.37(1)(a) (a) “Corrosive” means any substance which in contact with living tissue will cause destruction of tissue by chemical action, but does not refer to action on inanimate surfaces.