Citation; nature; issuance; release of accused
Wis. Stat. § 968.085
in effect(1) Nature. A citation under this section is a directive, issued by a law enforcement officer, that a person appear in court and answer criminal charges. A citation is not a criminal complaint and may not be used as a substitute for a criminal complaint.
(2) Authority to issue; effect. Except as provided in sub. (8), a law enforcement officer may issue a citation to any person whom he or she has reasonable grounds to believe has committed a misdemeanor. A citation may be issued in the field or at the headquarters or precinct station of the officer instead of or subsequent to a lawful arrest. If a citation is issued, the person cited shall be released on his or her own recognizance. In determining whether to issue a citation, the law enforcement officer may consider whether:
(a) The accused has given proper identification.
(b) The accused is willing to sign the citation.
(c) The accused appears to represent a danger of harm to himself or herself, another person or property.
(d) The accused can show sufficient evidence of ties to the community.
(e) The accused has previously failed to appear or failed to respond to a citation.
(f) Arrest or further detention appears necessary to carry out legitimate investigative action in accordance with law enforcement agency policies.
(3) Contents. The citation shall do all of the following:
(a) Identify the offense and section which the person is alleged to have violated, including the date, and if material, identify the property and other persons involved.
(b) Contain the name and address of the person cited, or other identification if that cannot be ascertained.
(c) Identify the officer issuing the citation.
(d) Direct the person cited to appear for his or her initial appearance in a designated court, at a designated time and date.
(4) Service. A copy of the citation shall be delivered to the person cited, and the original must be filed with the district attorney.
(5) Review by district attorney. If the district attorney declines to prosecute, he or she shall notify the law enforcement agency which issued the citation. The law enforcement agency shall attempt to notify the person cited that he or she will not be charged and is not required to appear as directed in the citation.
(6) Citation no bar to criminal summons or warrant. The prior issuance of a citation does not bar the issuance of a summons or a warrant for the same offense.
(7) Preparation of form. The judicial conference shall prescribe the form and content of the citation under s. 758.171.
(8) Inapplicability to certain domestic abuse cases. A law enforcement officer may not issue a citation to a person for an offense if the officer is required to arrest the person for that offense under s. 968.075 (2).
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/968.085Fetched: 10/7/2026