Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 23.50 (2026)
Procedure in forfeiture actions
✓ current as of July 2026
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23.50(1)(1) The procedure in ss. 23.50 to 23.85 applies to all actions in circuit court to recover forfeitures, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814, for violations of ss. 77.09, 90.21, 134.60, 167.10 (3), 167.31 (2), 281.48 (2) to (5), 283.33, 285.57 (2), 285.59 (2), (3) (c) and (4), 287.07, 287.08, 287.81, and 299.64 (2), subch. VI of ch. 77, this chapter, and chs. 26 to 31, ch. 169, and ch. 350, and any administrative rules promulgated thereunder, violations specified under s. 280.98 (2) or 285.86, violations of s. 281.36 if the department chooses to proceed under s. 281.36 (14) (f), violations of ch. 951 if the animal involved is a captive wild animal, violations of rules of the Kickapoo reserve management board under s. 41.41 (7) (k), violations to which s. 299.85 (7) (a) 2. or 4. applies, or violations of local ordinances enacted by any local authority in accordance with s. 23.33 (11) (am), 23.335 (21) (a), or 30.77.
23.50(2)(2) All actions to recover these forfeitures and costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814 are civil actions in the name of the state of Wisconsin, shall be heard in the circuit court for the county where the offense occurred, and shall be recovered under the procedure set forth in ss. 23.50 to 23.85.
23.50(3)(3) All actions in municipal court to recover forfeitures, plus costs, fees, and surcharges imposed under ch. 814, for violations of local ordinances enacted by any local authority in accordance with s. 23.33 (11) (am), 23.335 (21) (a), or 30.77 shall utilize the procedure in ch. 800. The actions shall be brought before the municipal court having jurisdiction. Provisions relating to citations, arrests, questioning, releases, searches, deposits, and stipulations of no contest in ss. 23.51 (1m), (3), and (8), 23.53, 23.54, 23.56 to 23.64, 23.66, and 23.67 shall apply to violations of such ordinances.
23.50(4)(4) Where a fine or imprisonment, or both, is imposed by a statute enumerated in sub. (1), the procedure in ch. 968 shall apply.
23.50 HistoryHistory: 1975 c. 365; 1977 c. 29, 305; 1977 c. 449 ss. 44, 497; 1979 c. 32 s. 92 (17); 1979 c. 34 ss. 703b, 2102 (39) (f); 1981 c. 390; 1985 a. 36; 1987 a. 27; 1987 a. 200 s. 4; 1989 a. 79, 284, 335, 359; 1991 a. 39, 97; 1993 a. 16, 243, 344, 349, 491; 1995 a. 27, 216, 227, 290; 1997 a. 35; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 56; 2003 a. 139, 276; 2005 a. 360; 2013 a. 69; 2015 a. 170.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1996–2025 · leading case: State v. Ryan, 2012 WI 16 (Wis. 2012).
State v. Ryan, 2012 WI 16 (Wis. 2012). “30 is set forth in Wis. Stat. §§ 23.50 to 23.85. See Wis. Stat.”
State v. Daniel S. Iverson, 2015 WI 101 (Wis. 2015). “81 is one of the statutes enumerated in Wis. Stat. § 23.50 (1). Wis. Stat. § 23.50 (1).”
State v. Robert Joseph Stietz, 2017 WI 58 (Wis. 2017). “§ 23.50(1) in turn references, among other things, "violations of .”
State v. Schweda, 2007 WI 100 (Wis. 2007). “See Wis. Stat. §§ 23.50 , 23.77. Where the legislature does not explicitly provide a statutory right to a civil jury trial, as is in this case, the question remains whether the constitutional right to a civil jury trial attaches to the statutory cause of action.”
State v. Ryan, 2011 WI App 21 (Wis. Ct. App. 2011). “See Wis. Stat. § 23.50 (1); State v. Peterson, 104 Wis.”
State v. Beck, 555 N.W.2d 145 (Wis. Ct. App. 1996). “" Section 23.50(2), Stats. Under this general rule, Crawford County would not be the proper venue because the alleged offense did not occur in Crawford County.”
State v. John R. Phelan (Wis. Ct. App. 2025). “§ 23.50(1) as one authorized basis for the specific warden enforcement activities that are described in § 29.”
Vill. of McFarland v. Zetzman, 2012 WI App 49 (Wis. Ct. App. 2012). “Wis. Stat. §§ 23.50 and 345.20(2) (setting forth various procedures to be used in either municipal or circuit court for *704 traffic forfeiture and municipal ordinance cases).”
— Wis. Stat. § 23.50(1) — 3 cases
State v. Robert Joseph Stietz, 2017 WI 58 (Wis. 2017). “§ 23.50(1) in turn references, among other things, "violations of .”
State v. Ryan, 2012 WI 16 (Wis. 2012). “30 is set forth in Wis. Stat. §§ 23.50 to 23.85. See Wis. Stat.”
State v. John R. Phelan (Wis. Ct. App. 2025). “§ 23.50(1) as one authorized basis for the specific warden enforcement activities that are described in § 29.”
— Wis. Stat. § 23.50(2) — 1 case
State v. Beck, 555 N.W.2d 145 (Wis. Ct. App. 1996). “" Section 23.50(2), Stats. Under this general rule, Crawford County would not be the proper venue because the alleged offense did not occur in Crawford County.”
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