Local enforcement of certain food and health regulations
Wis. Stat. § 66.0417
in effect(1) An employee or agent of a local health department designated by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection under s. 97.41 or 97.615 (2) may enter, at reasonable hours, any premises for which the local health department issues a license under s. 97.41 or 97.615 (2) to inspect the premises, secure samples or specimens, examine and copy relevant documents and records, or obtain photographic or other evidence needed to enforce ch. 97, relating to those premises. If samples of food are taken, the local health department shall pay or offer to pay the market value of those samples. The local health department or department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection shall examine the samples and specimens secured and shall conduct other inspections and examinations needed to determine whether there is a violation of ch. 97, rules adopted by the department under those statutes, ordinances adopted by the village, city or county or regulations adopted by the local board of health under s. 97.41 (7) or 97.615.
(2)
(a) Whenever, as a result of an examination, a village, city or county has reasonable cause to believe that any examined food constitutes, or that any construction, sanitary condition, operation or method of operation of the premises or equipment used on the premises creates an immediate danger to health, the administrator of the village, city or county agency responsible for the village’s, city’s or county’s agent functions under s. 97.41 or 97.615 (2) may issue a temporary order and cause it to be delivered to the licensee, or to the owner or custodian of the food, or to both. The order may prohibit the sale or movement of the food for any purpose, prohibit the continued operation or method of operation of specific equipment, require the premises to cease any other operation or method of operation which creates the immediate danger to health, or set forth any combination of these requirements. The administrator may order the cessation of all operations authorized by the license only if a more limited order does not remove the immediate danger to health. Except as provided in par. (c), no temporary order is effective for longer than 14 days from the time of its delivery, but a temporary order may be reissued for one additional 14-day period, if necessary to complete the analysis or examination of samples, specimens or other evidence.
(b) No food described in a temporary order issued and delivered under par. (a) may be sold or moved and no operation or method of operation prohibited by the temporary order may be resumed without the approval of the village, city or county, until the order has terminated or the time period specified in par. (a) has run out, whichever occurs first. If the village, city or county, upon completed analysis and examination, determines that the food, construction, sanitary condition, operation or method of operation of the premises or equipment does not constitute an immediate danger to health, the licensee, owner, or custodian of the food or premises shall be promptly notified in writing and the temporary order shall terminate upon his or her receipt of the written notice.
(c) If the analysis or examination shows that the food, construction, sanitary condition, operation or method of operation of the premises or equipment constitutes an immediate danger to health, the licensee, owner, or custodian shall be notified within the effective period of the temporary order issued under par. (a). Upon receipt of the notice, the temporary order remains in effect until a final decision is issued under sub. (3), and no food described in the temporary order may be sold or moved and no operation or method of operation prohibited by the order may be resumed without the approval of the village, city or county.
(3) A notice issued under sub. (2) (c) shall be accompanied by notice of a hearing as provided in s. 68.11 (1). The village, city or county shall hold a hearing no later than 15 days after the service of the notice, unless both parties agree to a later date. Notwithstanding s. 68.12, a final decision shall be issued under s. 68.12 within 10 days of the hearing. The decision may order the destruction of food, the diversion of food to uses which do not pose a danger to health, the modification of food so that it does not create a danger to health, changes to or replacement of equipment or construction, other changes in or cessations of any operation or method of operation of the equipment or premises, or any combination of these actions necessary to remove the danger to health. The decision may order the cessation of all operations authorized by the license only if a more limited order will not remove the immediate danger to health.
(4) A proceeding under this section, or the issuance of a license for the premises after notification of procedures under this section, does not constitute a waiver by the village, city or county of its authority to rely on a violation of ch. 97 or any rule adopted under those statutes as the basis for any subsequent suspension or revocation of the license or any other enforcement action arising out of the violation.
(5)
(a) Except as provided in par. (b), any person who violates this section or an order issued under this section may be fined not more than $10,000 plus the retail value of any food moved, sold or disposed of in violation of this section or the order, or imprisoned not more than one year in the county jail, or both.
(b) Any person who does either of the following may be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than one year in a county jail, or both:
1. Assaults, restrains, threatens, intimidates, impedes, interferes with or otherwise obstructs a village, city or county inspector, employee or agent in the performance of his or her duties under this section.
2. Gives false information to a village, city or county inspector, employee or agent engaged in the performance of his or her duties under this section, with the intent to mislead the inspector, employee or agent.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/66.0417Fetched: 10/7/2026