Wisconsin Statutes

Wis. Stat. § 755.01 (2026)

Option of municipality

✓ current as of July 2026

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755.01755.01 Option of municipality.

755.01(1)(1) There is created and established in and for each city, town and village, a municipal court designated “Municipal Court for the .... (city, town or village) of .... (name of municipality)”. A municipal court created under this subsection is a coequal branch of the municipal government, subject to the superintending authority of the supreme court, through the chief judge of the judicial administrative district. A court shall become operative and function after January 1, 2011, when the city council, town board, or village board adopts an ordinance or bylaw providing for the election of a judge and the operation and maintenance of the court, receives a certification from the chief judge of the judicial administrative district that the court meets the requirements under ss. 755.09, 755.10, 755.11, and 755.17, and provides written notification to the director of state courts of the adoption of the ordinance or bylaw. A permanent vacancy in the office of municipal judge shall be filled under s. 8.50 (4) (fm). Any municipal court established under this section is not a court of record. The court shall be maintained at the expense of the municipality. The municipal governing body shall determine the amount budgeted for court maintenance and operations. The budget of the municipal court shall be separate from, or contained on a separate line item from, the budget or line items of all other municipal departments, including the budget or line items of the municipal prosecuting attorney and the municipal law enforcement agency.

755.01(2)(2) The governing body may by ordinance or bylaw abolish the municipal court as part of a consolidation under s. 66.0229 or at the end of any term for which the judge has been elected or appointed, but only if the ordinance or bylaw abolishing the court is submitted to the appropriate filing officer under s. 5.02 (4v) (c) or to the ethics commission, and to the director of state courts prior to October 1 of the year preceding the end of the term for which the judge has been elected or appointed. The governing body may not abolish the municipal court while an agreement under sub. (4) is in effect.

Effective date noteNOTE: Sub. (2) is shown as amended eff. 12-1-27 by 2023 Wis. Act 126, as affected by 2025 Wis. Act 7, section 2. Prior to 12-1-27 it reads:

Effective date text(2) The governing body may by ordinance or bylaw abolish the municipal court as part of a consolidation under s. 66.0229 or at the end of any term for which the judge has been elected or appointed, but only if the ordinance or bylaw abolishing the court is submitted to the appropriate filing office under s. 11.0102 (1) (c) and to the director of state courts prior to October 1 of the year preceding the end of the term for which the judge has been elected or appointed. The governing body may not abolish the municipal court while an agreement under sub. (4) is in effect.

755.01(3)(3) A municipality may establish as many branches of municipal court as it deems necessary.

755.01(4)(4) Two or more cities, towns or villages of this state may enter into an agreement under s. 66.0301 for the joint exercise of the power granted under sub. (1), except that for purposes of this subsection, any agreement under s. 66.0301 shall be effected by the enactment of identical ordinances by each affected city, town or village. Electors of each municipality entering into the agreement shall be eligible to vote for the judge of the municipal court so established. If a municipality enters into an agreement with a municipality that already has a municipal court, the municipalities may provide by ordinance or resolution that the judge for the existing municipal court shall serve as the judge for the joint court until the end of the term or until a special election is held under s. 8.50 (4) (fm). Each municipality shall adopt an ordinance or bylaw under sub. (1) prior to entering into the agreement. The contracting municipalities need not be contiguous and need not all be in the same county. Upon entering into or discontinuing such an agreement, the contracting municipalities shall each transmit a certified copy of the ordinance or bylaw effecting or discontinuing the agreement to the appropriate filing officer under s. 5.02 (4v) (c) or to the ethics commission. Any court formed under this subsection, including the formation of a new court by a change in the municipalities that have entered into an agreement under s. 66.0301, shall become operative and function when the requirements under this subsection are met, the court receives a certification from the chief judge of the judicial administrative district that the court meets the requirements under ss. 755.09, 755.10, 755.11, and 755.17, and the court provides written notification to the director of state courts. Discontinuation of an agreement under this subsection shall be effective at the end of the term for which the judge has been elected or appointed but only if the ordinance or bylaw discontinuing the agreement is submitted to the appropriate filing officer under s. 5.02 (4v) (c) or to the ethics commission and to the director of state courts prior to October 1 of the year preceding the end of the term for which the judge has been elected or appointed. When a municipal judge is elected under this subsection, candidates shall be nominated by filing nomination papers under s. 8.10 (6) (bm), and shall register with the filing officer specified under s. 5.02 (4v) (c) or with the ethics commission.

Effective date noteNOTE: Sub. (4) is shown as amended eff. 12-1-27 by 2023 Wis. Act 126, as affected by 2025 Wis. Act 7, section 2. Prior to 12-1-27 it reads:

Effective date text(4) Two or more cities, towns or villages of this state may enter into an agreement under s. 66.0301 for the joint exercise of the power granted under sub. (1), except that for purposes of this subsection, any agreement under s. 66.0301 shall be effected by the enactment of identical ordinances by each affected city, town or village. Electors of each municipality entering into the agreement shall be eligible to vote for the judge of the municipal court so established. If a municipality enters into an agreement with a municipality that already has a municipal court, the municipalities may provide by ordinance or resolution that the judge for the existing municipal court shall serve as the judge for the joint court until the end of the term or until a special election is held under s. 8.50 (4) (fm). Each municipality shall adopt an ordinance or bylaw under sub. (1) prior to entering into the agreement. The contracting municipalities need not be contiguous and need not all be in the same county. Upon entering into or discontinuing such an agreement, the contracting municipalities shall each transmit a certified copy of the ordinance or bylaw effecting or discontinuing the agreement to the appropriate filing officer under s. 11.0102 (1) (c). Any court formed under this subsection, including the formation of a new court by a change in the municipalities that have entered into an agreement under s. 66.0301, shall become operative and function when the requirements under this subsection are met, the court receives a certification from the chief judge of the judicial administrative district that the court meets the requirements under ss. 755.09, 755.10, 755.11, and 755.17, and the court provides written notification to the director of state courts. Discontinuation of an agreement under this subsection shall be effective at the end of the term for which the judge has been elected or appointed but only if the ordinance or bylaw discontinuing the agreement is submitted to the appropriate filing office under s. 11.0102 (1) (c) and to the director of state courts prior to October 1 of the year preceding the end of the term for which the judge has been elected or appointed. When a municipal judge is elected under this subsection, candidates shall be nominated by filing nomination papers under s. 8.10 (6) (bm), and shall register with the filing officer specified in s. 11.0102 (1) (c).

755.01 HistoryHistory: 1977 c. 187 s. 94; 1977 c. 305; Stats. 1977 s. 755.01; 1985 a. 89, 304; 1987 a. 389; 1989 a. 274; 1997 a. 208; 1999 a. 150 s. 672; 1999 a. 182; 2001 a. 109; 2009 a. 402; 2015 a. 117; 2017 a. 366; 2019 a. 70; 2023 a. 126; 2025 a. 7 s. 2.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1981–2023 · leading case: State v. Christopher John Kerr, 913 N.W.2d 787 (Wis. 2018).

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State v. Christopher John Kerr, 913 N.W.2d 787 (Wis. 2018). · cites it 3× “§ 755.01 . See Wis. Stat. § 755.045 . However, where, as here, there is no municipal court, the circuit court of the county in which the municipality is located has authority vis-à-vis its general jurisdiction to resolve violations of municipal ordinances pursuant to Chapter 800.”

City of Milwaukee v. Wroten, 466 N.W.2d 861 (Wis. 1991). · cites it 4× “[2] Section 755.01, Stats., gives municipalities the authority to create municipal courts.”

City of Sun Prairie v. Davis, 595 N.W.2d 635 (Wis. 1999). · cites it 2× “Wis. Stat. § 755.01 (1). A municipal court so created "has exclusive jurisdiction over an action in which a municipality seeks to impose forfeitures for violations of municipal ordinances of the municipality.”

Krieg v. Dayton-Hudson Corp., 311 N.W.2d 641 (Wis. 1981). “1975 (precursor of sec. 755.01, Stats. 1979-80): “254.01 Option of municipality.”

In the Matter of Jud. Disciplinary Proceedings Against Stern, 589 N.W.2d 407 (Wis. 1999). · cites it 2× “Attorney Stern again wrote Assistant Attorney General Lee, citing a state constitutional provision and a statute 4 imposing a similar prohibition but limited to judges of a court of record and noting that, pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 755.01 (1), a municipal court is not a court of…”

Peter C. Tharp v. Vill. of Roberts (Wis. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 3× “§ 755.01(1). The constitution also provides: The judicial power of this state shall be vested in a unified court system consisting of one supreme court, a court of appeals, a circuit court, such trial courts of general uniform statewide jurisdiction as the legislature may create…”

Griffin v. City of Milwaukee (E.D. Wis. 2023). · cites it 2× “See Wis. Stat. § 755.01 (1) (“Any municipal court established under this section is not a court of record.”

— Wis. Stat. § 755.01(1) — 1 case

Peter C. Tharp v. Vill. of Roberts (Wis. Ct. App. 2023). “§ 755.01(1). The constitution also provides: The judicial power of this state shall be vested in a unified court system consisting of one supreme court, a court of appeals, a circuit court, such trial courts of general uniform statewide jurisdiction as the legislature may create…”

— Wis. Stat. § 755.01(2) — 1 case

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