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.
Effective date note
NOTE: Sub. (4) is shown as amended eff. 2-1-03 by
2001 Wis. Act 109. Prior to 2-1-03 it reads:
Effective date text
(4) Any person who violates this section shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than 3 years or both if the injury, defacement or removal causes the death of a person.
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)(a)
(a) "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" and "CAMPING";
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)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)6.
6. STH 13 from STH 97 at Marshfield to STH 182 at Park Falls.
86.195(2)(ag)12.
12. STH 33 from USH 41 at Allenton to STH 32 at Port Washington.
86.195(2)(ag)16m.
16m. STH 172 from I 43 southeast of Green Bay to USH 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 11 at 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)28.
28. USH 63 from I 94 south of Baldwin to USH 2 west of Ashland.
86.195(2)(ag)29.
29. USH 64 from the state line in St. Croix County to 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 at Green Bay to the state line in Marinette County.
86.195(2)(ag)32.
32. USH 151 from STH 11 south of Dickeyville to USH 41 at Fond du Lac.
86.195(2)(ag)33.
33. STH 441 between the Roland Kampo Bridge and USH 41, designated as the tri-county expressway, in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties.
86.195(2)(am)
(am) Notwithstanding
par. (a), no specific information sign may be erected within any county having a population over 500,000.
86.195(2)(b)1.1. 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)(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" and "CAMPING". 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)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)(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.;
86.195(3)(b)3.
3. Fifty percent of the gross receipts of the business are from meal, food, food product and beverage sales taxable under
s. 77.54 (20) (c); and
86.195(4)(a)(a) Specific information signs shall be located so as to take advantage of natural terrain, to have the least impact on the scenic environment and to avoid visual conflict with other signs within the highway right-of-way.
86.195(4)(b)
(b) The relative location of successive specific information signs near a particular intersection shall be in the following order, as seen by the traveling public: "CAMPING", "LODGING", "FOOD" and "GAS".
86.195(5)(a)1.1. Except as provided in
subds. 2. and
3., a motorist service may not be located more than 3 miles from the federal-aid primary or secondary highway on which the specific information sign for the motorist service is erected.
86.195(5)(a)2.
2. Except as provided in
subd. 3., if no business in the category of motorist service is available within the 3-mile limit, the limit in
subd. 1. may be extended in 3-mile increments to a maximum distance of 15 miles from the federal-aid primary or secondary highway until a business in the category of motorist service is reached.
