Records to be kept by the department
Wis. Stat. § 343.23
in effect(1) The department shall maintain a record of every application for license, permit, or endorsement received by it and of every suspension, revocation, cancellation, and disqualification by the department and shall maintain suitable indexes containing:
(a) All applications denied and on each thereof note the reason for such denial;
(b) All applications granted; and
(c) The name of every person whose license or operating privilege has been suspended, revoked, or canceled, or who is disqualified, by the department and note thereon the reason for such action.
(2)
(a) The department shall maintain a file for each licensee or other person containing the application for license, permit or endorsement, a record of reports or abstract of convictions, any demerit points assessed under authority of s. 343.32 (2), the information in all data fields printed on any license issued to the person, any notice received from the federal transportation security administration concerning the person’s eligibility for an “H” endorsement specified in s. 343.17 (3) (d) 1m., the status of the person’s authorization to operate different vehicle groups, a record of any out-of-service orders issued under s. 343.305 (7) (b) or (9) (am), a record of the date on which any background investigation specified in s. 343.12 (6) (a) or (d) was completed, a record of the date on which any verification specified in s. 343.165 (1) and (3) was completed, all documents required to be maintained under s. 343.165 (2) (a), and a record of any reportable accident in which the person has been involved, including specification of any type of license and endorsements issued under this chapter under which the person was operating at the time of the accident and an indication whether or not the accident occurred in the course of any of the following:
1. The person’s employment as a law enforcement officer as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (c), fire fighter as defined in s. 102.475 (8) (b), or emergency medical services practitioner as defined in s. 256.01 (5).
2. The licensee’s employment as a person engaged, by an authority in charge of the maintenance of the highway, in highway winter maintenance snow and ice removal during either a storm or cleanup following a storm. For purposes of this subdivision, “highway winter maintenance snow and ice removal” includes plowing, sanding, salting and the operation of vehicles in the delivery of those services.
3. The licensee’s performance of duties as an emergency medical responder, as defined in s. 256.01 (4p).
(am)
1. The file specified in par. (a) shall include the following:
a. For a person holding a commercial driver license issued by the department, a record of any disqualification by another jurisdiction of the person from operating a commercial motor vehicle for at least 60 days or of the revocation, suspension, or cancellation by another jurisdiction of the person’s commercial driver license for at least 60 days, and the violation that resulted in the disqualification, revocation, suspension, or cancellation, as specified in any notice received from the other jurisdiction.
b. For a person holding a commercial driver license issued by the department, a record of any violation in another jurisdiction of any law of that jurisdiction, including any local law of that jurisdiction, or of any law of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in that jurisdiction, in conformity with any law of this state relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation, as specified in any notice received from that jurisdiction. The department shall record this information within 10 days after receipt of the notice.
c. For a person holding a commercial driver license issued by this state or another jurisdiction, a record of each violation, while operating any motor vehicle, of any state law or local ordinance of this state or any law of a federally recognized American Indian tribe or band in this state in conformity with any law of this state relating to motor vehicle traffic control, other than a parking violation. The department shall record the information under this subdivision within 10 days after the date of conviction.
2. In maintaining the department’s file specified in subd. 1. and par. (a), the department may not conceal, withhold, or mask from the department’s file, or otherwise allow in any way a person to avoid the department’s recording in the department’s file of, any information required to be recorded in the department’s file under 49 CFR 384.225 and 384.226, regardless of whether the person has obtained deferral of imposition of judgment, been allowed to enter a diversion program, or otherwise obtained delayed or suspended judgment or alternative sentencing from a court.
(b) The information specified in pars. (a) and (am) must be filed by the department so that the complete operator’s record is available for the use of the secretary in determining whether operating privileges of such person shall be suspended, revoked, canceled, or withheld, or the person disqualified, in the interest of public safety. The record of suspensions, revocations, and convictions that would be counted under s. 343.307 (2) shall be maintained permanently. The record of convictions for disqualifying offenses under s. 343.315 (2) (h) shall be maintained for at least 10 years. The record of convictions for disqualifying offenses under s. 343.315 (2) (f), (j), and (L), and all records specified in par. (am), shall be maintained for at least 3 years. The record of convictions for disqualifying offenses under s. 343.315 (2) (a) to (e) shall be maintained permanently, except that 5 years after a licensee transfers residency to another state such record may be transferred to another state of licensure of the licensee if that state accepts responsibility for maintaining a permanent record of convictions for disqualifying offenses. Such reports and records may be cumulative beyond the period for which a license is granted, but the secretary, in exercising the power of suspension granted under s. 343.32 (2) may consider only those reports and records entered during the 4-year period immediately preceding the exercise of such power of suspension. The department shall maintain the digital images of documents specified in s. 343.165 (2) (a) for at least 10 years.
(3)
(a) The department shall maintain a file, for each person convicted of a violation as defined by s. 343.30 (6) (a), containing a record of reports of convictions of violations as defined by s. 343.30 (6) (a) and suspensions and revocations under s. 343.30 (6). The department may purge the record of any such conviction 24 months after it is reported.
(b) The department record of a person’s conviction for exceeding a posted speed limit shall include the number of miles per hour in excess of the posted speed limit, as reported to the department.
(4) The department shall purge all of the following from the file of a person:
(a) Notwithstanding subs. (1) and (2) (b), any record of an administrative suspension upon receipt of a report from the court hearing the action arising out of the same incident or occurrence that the action has been dismissed or the person has been found innocent of the charge arising out of that incident or occurrence, except that the record of an administrative suspension for a person holding a commercial driver license may be purged only upon receipt of a court order.
(b) Any record of issuance of an out-of-service order under s. 343.305 (7) (b) or (9) (am) upon receipt of a report from the court hearing the action arising out of the same incident or occurrence that the action has been dismissed or the person has been found innocent of the charge of violating s. 346.63 (7) arising out of that incident or occurrence. In the case of a nonresident, the department shall also inform the state of licensure of the dismissal or finding of innocence.
(5) The department shall maintain the files specified in this section in a form that is appropriate to the form of the records constituting those files. Records under sub. (1) and files under sub. (2) shall be maintained in an electronic and transferable format accessible for the purpose specified in s. 343.03 (6) (a).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/343.23Fetched: 10/7/2026