Sale of agricultural lime; license; penalty
Wis. Stat. § 94.66
in effect(1) Unless the context requires otherwise:
(am) “Liming material” means any material which contains calcium or calcium and magnesium compounds, is capable of neutralizing soil acidity and is manufactured, sold or distributed for the purpose of neutralizing soil acidity or liming barns. “Liming material” includes any form of limestone, quicklime, hydrated lime, marl, paper mill refuse lime, blast furnace slag or mine tailings.
(b) “Person” means an individual, firm, association, limited liability company, corporation or county.
(2) No person may engage in the business of selling or distributing liming material in this state without first obtaining a license therefor from the department unless the person is engaged in the business of selling or distributing such product produced by another already licensed to do business under this section.
(3) Application for license shall be made upon forms furnished upon request by the department and shall state the applicant’s name and business address, the exact location of places of manufacture of the applicant’s products, a description of the products that are to be sold, and any other information that the department requires. An application may be amended upon written notice from the applicant.
(4) Each application shall be accompanied by a fee of $10.
(5) Licenses to engage in the selling or distribution of liming material shall expire on December 31 next following date of issue.
(6)
(a) Every person engaged in the business of selling or distributing liming material shall furnish each purchaser on final delivery of a lot or order of liming material a written statement showing total amount delivered in tons and the grade thereof as defined in par. (b). A written statement setting forth the grade of the liming material being transported shall accompany each vehicle when making delivery. All liming material shall be distributed on a scale weight basis, except that where no weighing facilities are readily available and on prior approval of the department, liming materials may be distributed by volume if each vehicle transporting liming materials is accurately and conspicuously marked to show cubic yard capacity from which the seller must guarantee a ton weight equivalent based on rules established by the department. This paragraph does not apply to marl or paper mill refuse lime as these materials are distributed on an equivalent cubic yard basis as prescribed by department rule.
(b)
1. “Neutralizing index” means the effectiveness of liming material to change soil acidity expressed as a whole number calculated by the following method. The summation of the following 3 quantities is obtained:
a. The percentage of material passing a U.S. standard 8 mesh sieve, but retained by a U.S. standard 20 mesh sieve is multiplied by 0.2;
b. The percentage of material passing a U.S. standard 20 mesh sieve, but retained by a U.S. standard 60 mesh sieve is multiplied by 0.6; and
c. The percentage of material passing a U.S. standard 60 mesh sieve is multiplied by 1.0.
2. This summation is multiplied by the calcium carbonate equivalent of the liming material under consideration to obtain the neutralizing index. The formula is: Neutralizing index = [(%8-20 mesh × 0.2) + (%20-60 mesh × 0.6) + (%finer than 60 mesh × 1.0)] × % calcium carbonate equivalent.
3. “Index zones” means the classification of liming material into numerical ranges of neutralizing indexes.
(c) All weights as called for under par. (a) shall be expressed on the basis of not more than 8 percent of moisture. For the purposes of the specifications in par. (b), “calcium carbonate equivalent” means the acid neutralizing capacity of oven-dried material expressed as the percentage by weight of calcium carbonate. In addition to the grade designation, the actual screen analysis and neutralizing value may be given. Any misleading representation on the written statement of guarantee is unlawful.
(7) The department shall enforce this section by inspectors, chemical analyses and other appropriate methods and for such purposes employees and agents of the department shall have free access during business hours to all places of business, buildings and vehicles used in the manufacture, transportation, sale or storage of liming material.
(8) Except as provided in s. 93.135, the department may revoke a license, after reasonable notice, only for willful failure to comply with any of the provisions of this section and in the event the license is revoked the licensee may have the order of revocation reviewed by the circuit court of the county wherein the producing plant is located and the review by the court shall be of all questions therein whether of fact or law; any such appeal must be taken within 20 days of the date of the service of the order of revocation upon the licensee.
(9) A fee of one and one-quarter cent per ton on all liming materials, or the equivalent amount on marl and paper mill refuse lime, sold within the state, with a minimum fee of $1 shall be paid annually, for the preceding calendar year, on or before February 1 each year to the department by the licensee. These fees shall be used for research on liming materials or crop response thereto by the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, for the dissemination of the results of such research, and for other activities that will tend to promote the correct usage of liming materials. In case the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is unable to carry on the recommended program the department may contract with another appropriate institution or agency.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/94.66Fetched: 10/7/2026