Local regulation of seaplanes

Wis. Stat. § 30.78
in effect
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(1) City, village and town ordinances. Any city, village or town adjoining or surrounding any waters may, after public hearing, by ordinance: (a) Prescribe reasonable safety regulations relating to the operation on the surface of such waters of any aircraft capable of landing on water. (b) Prescribe the areas which may be used as a landing and take-off strip for the aircraft or prohibit the use of the waters altogether. (c) Provide proper and reasonable penalties for the violation of any such ordinance. (1g) Lake district ordinances. (a) A public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, after public hearing, may enact and enforce local ordinances applicable to a lake entirely within its boundaries if each town, village and city having jurisdiction on the lake adopts a resolution authorizing the lake district to do so. (b) Ordinances authorized under par. (a) are limited to the type of ordinances authorized under sub. (1) (a) to (c). (c) If any town, village or city having jurisdiction on the lake rescinds the resolution authorizing the public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district to enact and enforce ordinances under this paragraph, the lake district ordinances are void. (1r) Notice to department of transportation. The department of transportation shall receive timely notice of the public hearing required under subs. (1) and (1g) and shall have an opportunity to present testimony on the proposed ordinance. An ordinance under sub. (1) (b) or (1g) that regulates or restricts an area of surface waters for landing or take-off purposes shall be filed with the department of transportation. (2) Marking of regulated or restricted areas. Any ordinance that regulates or restricts an area of surface waters under sub. (1) or (1g) shall direct that the area be marked by standard marking devices. (3) Conflicting ordinances. (a) If a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district enacts an ordinance under sub. (1g), the lake district ordinance supersedes all conflicting provisions of a town, village or city ordinance enacted under sub. (1) that are applicable to that lake. (b) Any conflict in jurisdiction arising from the enactment of ordinances by 2 or more municipalities shall be resolved under s. 66.0105.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/30.78Fetched: 10/7/2026