REGULATING AND CONTROLLING UNIFORMS OF PRIVATE POLICE, SECURITY GUARDS, COURIERS AND OTHER SIMILARLY UNIFORMED PERSONS.
Madison General Ordinances § 23.16
in effect23.16 - REGULATING AND CONTROLLING UNIFORMS OF PRIVATE POLICE, SECURITY GUARDS, COURIERS AND OTHER SIMILARLY UNIFORMED PERSONS.
(1) Purpose. The purpose of this Ordinance is to regulate and control the uniforms and paraphernalia worn by private police and other quasi-police personnel under private employment so as to reduce or eliminate the possibility that the public would reasonably construe these private employees to be commissioned law enforcement officers and to therefore rely on that notion. Such purpose is deemed to be for the benefit of the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City of Madison. (Am. by ORD-17-00030, 3-8-17)
(2) In this section, "law enforcement officer" means any person employed by the federal or state government or by a city, village, town or county for the purpose of detecting and preventing crime and enforcing laws or ordinances, who is authorized to make arrests for violations of the laws or ordinances which they are employed to enforce. These agencies include, but are not limited to the following:
Cottage Grove Police Department
Dane County Sheriff
DeForest Police Department
Fitchburg Police Department
McFarland Police Department
Middleton Police Department
Monona Police Department
Sun Prairie Police Department
University of Wisconsin-Madison Police
Verona Police Department
Wisconsin Capitol Police
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Conservation Wardens
Wisconsin State Patrol
(3) No person, firm, or corporation which routinely conducts its business within the City of Madison shall wear or cause its employees or agents to wear a uniform, insignia, badge, pants, shirt, jacket and any other combination of clothing articles and paraphernalia which by their color, style, design and other characteristics would lead a reasonably prudent person to conclude that such person so garbed is a commissioned law enforcement officer. It is the intent of this proviso to prohibit garb and paraphernalia which in its totality would create the impression in a reasonably prudent person that the one so clothed is a commissioned law enforcement officer.
(4) Exceptions. This Ordinance is not applicable to any official governmental body or subdivision thereof or to such body's employees or agents so long as such employees or agents are so attired in the regular course of such employment. Further, this Ordinance is not applicable to theatrical productions.
(5) Penalty. Any person, firm, or corporation which violates any provision of this Ordinance shall be subject to a forfeiture of not less than twenty dollars ($20) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200) for each violation.
(6) Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect six months after adoption and publication.
(Sec. 23.16 Cr. by Ord. 7548, 10-29-81; Am. by ORD-16-00028, 3-9-16)
Source: City of Madison, Wisconsin, Madison General Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/wi/madison/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COORMAWIVOIICH20--31_CH23OFAGPUPO_23.16RECOUNPRPOSEGUCOOTSIUNPEFetched: 11/1/2026