Local regulations on icebound inland waters

Wis. Stat. § 30.81
in effect
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(1) Town, village and city ordinances. Any town, village or city, in the interest of public health or safety, may enact ordinances that are not inconsistent with this chapter, relative to the use or operation of boats and other craft, including snowmobiles and other motor vehicles, on icebound inland lakes, but an ordinance is not valid unless each town, village and city having jurisdiction over any portion of the lake has enacted an identical ordinance. When the identical ordinances have been enacted, the ordinance of any individual town, village or city is in effect on the entire lake. (1m) Lake district ordinances. (a) A public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, in the interest of public health or safety, may enact and enforce 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) An ordinance enacted under par. (a) must be consistent with this chapter and must relate to the use or operation of boats and other craft, including snowmobiles and other motor vehicles, on icebound inland lakes. (c) If a public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district enacts an ordinance under this subsection, the district ordinance supersedes all conflicting provisions of a town, village or city ordinance enacted under sub. (1) that are applicable to the lake. (d) If a 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. (2) County ordinances. Any county, in the interest of public health or safety, may enact ordinances not inconsistent with this chapter, relative to the use or operation of boats and other craft, including snowmobiles and other motor vehicles, on any of the icebound inland waters over which it has jurisdiction, except inland icebound lakes that are regulated by valid local ordinances enacted pursuant to sub. (1) or (1m). (3) Liability of local government. All traffic on icebound, inland waters shall be at the risk of the traveler. An ordinance by any municipality or any public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district that is enacted under this section permitting traffic on icebound inland waters shall not render the municipality or lake district enacting the ordinance liable for any accident to those engaged in permitted traffic while the ordinance is in effect. (4) Enforcement. A law enforcement officer of a town, village or city that is subject to an ordinance enacted under sub. (1) or (1m) has the powers of sheriff in enforcing the ordinance on any portion of the lake, whether or not that portion of the lake is within the jurisdiction of the town, village or city for other purposes.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/30.81Fetched: 10/7/2026