Please Note: In addition to state laws, the purchase, sale and (in certain circumstances) the possession and interstate transportation of firearms is regulated by the Federal Gun Control Act of 1968, as amended by the Firearm Owners' Protection Act. Also, cities and localities may have their own firearms ordinances in addition to federal and state laws. Details may be obtained by contacting local law enforcement authorities, and by consulting the State Laws and Published Ordinances--Firearms, available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.
Rifles and
Shotguns Handguns
_____________________
Permit to Purchase No No*
Registration of Firearm No No
Licensing of Owner No No
Permit to Carry No N/A
* Waiting Period
It is unlawful for a person convicted of a felony or found not guilty of a felony by reason of mental illness to possess a firearm.
It is unlawful in, on, or within 1,000 feet from the grounds of a school (school zone) to possess a firearm. Exempt are private property not part of school grounds, school security guards, law enforcement officers, use in a program approved by the school, unloaded and in a locked container or in a locked firearm rack that is on a motor vehicle, and unloaded and possessed while traversing school ground for the purpose of gaining access to lands open to hunting if the entry on school grounds is authorized by school authorities.
These provisions do not apply to antique handguns, transfers between wholesale or retail dealers, or to law enforcement or armed service agencies.
Every dealer or manufacturer of articles composed, in whole or in part, of precious metal or stones, copper, lead, or brass, who obtains by purchase or exchange, any second-hand firearms, must within twenty-four hours after receiving it report to the chief of police or the county sheriff the fact that the firearm has been received and a description of the firearm and identifying information on the person from whom received.
It is unlawful to possess, place, or transport in or on any aircraft, vehicle, or any motor-driven boat while the motor is running, any firearm unless such firearm is unloaded and cased, and it is also unlawful to load or fire any firearm from such aircraft or vehicle. (Except for a duly licensed disabled hunter.)
It is unlawful to go armed with a firearm in any building owned or leased by the state or any political subdivision of the state.
Some game wardens view the carrying of a firearm in the woods without a hunting license as hunting without a license.
Any person duly authorized by the chief of police of any city or the sheriff of any county may sell, possess, use, or transport a machine gun. State law ``shall not prohibit or interfere with ... the possession of a machine gun other than one adapted to use pistol cartridges, for a purpose manifestly not aggressive or offensive.''
Municipalities by statute may regulate the use and careless use of firearms.
It is unlawful to discharge any firearm ``within 40 rods (640 feet) of any public park, square or enclosure owned or controlled by any municipality ... and resorted to for recreation or pleasure, when such park, square or enclosure is wholly situated without the limits of such municipality.''
It is unlawful to operate or go armed with a firearm while under the influence of an intoxicant. (Jury instructions on this particular section of the law require that ``to go armed'' the firearm must be on one's person or accessible to him and that it be loaded.)
It is unlawful to set a spring gun.
It is unlawful to discharge a firearm while on the lands of another within 100 yards of any building devoted to human occupancy without the express permission of the owner or occupant. ``Building'' does not include a portable unit like a house trailer or tent.
It is unlawful to shoot from or across a highway or within 50 feet of the center of a roadway.
It is unlawful to discharge a firearm in a school zone. Exempt is private property not part of school grounds, a school approved shooting program, law enforcement officers, and school security guards.
It is unlawful to recklessly store or leave a loaded firearm within the reach or easy access of a person under 14 who obtains the firearm without lawful permission and possess or exhibits the firearm in a public place or discharges the firearm so as to cause bodily harm or death to self or another. In a commercial transfer the buyer or receiver of a firearm shall be provided with a written warning that it is unlawful to leave a loaded firearm within the reach or easy access of a child if the child improperly discharges, possesses or exhibits the firearm.
Sources: Wis. Stat. Ann. Sections 23.33, 23.50 et seq., 29.227, 60.23, 70.111, 167.31, 175.35, 815.18, 941.20, et seq.
Caution: State firearms laws are subject to frequent change. The above summary is not to be considered as legal advice or restatement of law. To determine the applicability of these laws to specific situations which you may encounter, you are strongly urged to consult a local attorney.
(c) 1994 NRA Institute for Legislative Action.
Permission to reprint
granted with appropriate credit to NRA Institute.
NS 01460 R. 3/94 5M