Injury to wires by removal of building, etc.; tampering with telecommunication or electric wires
Wis. Stat. § 941.40
in effect(1) Except as provided under sub. (4), any person having the right so to do who intentionally removes or changes any building or other structure or any timber, standing or fallen, to which any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, wireless service, electric light, or electric power lines or wires are in any manner attached, or causes the same to be done, and consequently destroys, disturbs, or injures the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, wireless service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch. 185, transacting business in this state, without first giving the company, at its office nearest the place of injury, at least 24 hours’ notice thereof, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
(2) Any person who intentionally breaks down, interrupts, or removes any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, wireless service, electric light, or electric power line or wire including grounds or who destroys, disturbs, interferes with, or injures the wires, poles, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, wireless service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch. 185, is guilty of a Class I felony.
(3) Any person who, for any purpose, intentionally makes or causes to be made a physical electrical connection with any wire, cable, conductor, ground, equipment, facility, or other property of any telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, wireless service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch. 185, is guilty of a Class I felony.
(4)
(a) Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply to any person who is lawfully using a land survey marker for land surveying purposes no more than 30 inches below ground level.
(b) Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to a person who acts with the permission of the telegraph, telecommunications, video service, broadband service, wireless service, electric light, or electric power company, including a cooperative association organized under ch. 185, that owns the wire, pole, cable, conductor, ground, equipment, facility, or other property.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/941.40Fetched: 10/7/2026