2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
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2025 SENATE BILL 159
March 27, 2025 - Introduced by Senators WANGGAARD, FEYEN and NASS,
cosponsored by Representatives B. JACOBSON, BEHNKE, CALLAHAN, DITTRICH,
GOEBEN, KNODL, MURSAU, O'CONNOR, PENTERMAN, PIWOWARCZYK and
PRONSCHINSKE. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local
Government.
***AUTHORS SUBJECT TO CHANGE***
AN ACT to amend 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes; relating to: requirements for
lighting on police vehicles.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law provides that a police vehicle may be equipped with flashing,
oscillating, or rotating blue and red lights. On a marked police vehicle, the blue
light must be mounted on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light must be
mounted on the driver side of the vehicle.
This bill provides that, on a marked police vehicle with an exterior light bar,
the blue light must be mounted on the roof of the passenger side of the vehicle and
the red light must be mounted on the roof of the driver side of the vehicle. For lights
mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights must be displayed on the interior of the
passenger side of the vehicle and red lights must be displayed on the interior of the
driver side of the vehicle. The bill also authorizes the use of a combination of blue
and red lights mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle if the vehicle is
already equipped with roof or interior lights as required by the bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SECTION 1. 347.25 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
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SENATE BILL 159
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SECTION 1
347.25 (1m) (b) If the vehicle is so equipped, the lights shall be illuminated as
required under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a) when the operator of the police vehicle is
exercising the privileges granted under s. 346.03 or 346.215 (2) (a). On a marked
police vehicle with an exterior light bar, the blue light shall be mounted on the roof
of the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be mounted on the roof of
the driver side of the vehicle. If lights are mounted inside the vehicle, blue lights
shall be displayed on the interior of the passenger side of the vehicle and red lights
shall be displayed on the interior of the driver side of the vehicle. On marked police
vehicles with blue lights displayed on the passenger side roof or interior and red
lights displayed on the driver side roof or interior, a combination of additional blue
and red lights may be mounted on the front, sides, or rear of a police vehicle in any
configuration. When in use on an unmarked police vehicle, the blue light shall be
displayed on the passenger side of the vehicle and the red light shall be displayed on
the driver side of the vehicle. The lights shall be designed and displayed so as to be
plainly visible and understandable from a distance of 500 feet during normal
sunlight and during hours of darkness. No operator of a police vehicle may use the
warning lights except when responding to an emergency call or when in pursuit of
an actual or suspected violator of the law, when responding to but not upon
returning from a fire alarm, when necessarily parked on a highway in a position
which is likely to be hazardous to traffic using the highway, or as authorized under
s. 346.215 (2) (a).
(END)
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