Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 943.45 (2026)
Theft of telecommunications service
✓ current as of July 2026
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943.45(1)(1) No person may intentionally obtain or attempt to obtain telecommunications service, as defined in s. 182.017 (1g) (cq), by any of the following means:
943.45(1)(a)(a) Charging such service to an existing telephone number or credit card number without the consent of the subscriber thereto or the legitimate holder thereof.
943.45(1)(b)(b) Charging such service to a false, fictitious, suspended, terminated, expired, canceled or revoked telephone number or credit card number.
943.45(1)(d)(d) Using a code, prearranged scheme, or other stratagem or device whereby said person in effect sends or receives information.
943.45(1)(e)(e) Using any other contrivance, device or means to avoid payment of the lawful charges, in whole or in part, for such service.
943.45(2)(2) This section shall apply when the said telecommunications service either originates or terminates, or both, in this state, or when the charges for said telecommunications service would have been billable, in normal course, by a person providing telecommunications service in this state, but for the fact that said service was obtained, or attempted to be obtained, by one or more of the means set forth in sub. (1).
943.45(3)(a)(a) Except as provided in pars. (b) to (d), any person who violates sub. (1) is guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.
943.45(3)(b)(b) Except as provided in pars. (c) and (d), any person who violates sub. (1) as a 2nd or subsequent offense is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.
943.45(3)(c)(c) Except as provided in par. (d), any person who violates sub. (1) for direct or indirect commercial advantage or private financial gain is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
943.45(3)(d)(d) Any person who violates sub. (1) for direct or indirect commercial advantage or private financial gain as a 2nd or subsequent offense is guilty of a Class I felony.
943.45 AnnotationEach separate plan or scheme to obtain service by fraud is a separate chargeable offense. State v. Davis, 171 Wis. 2d 711, 492 N.W.2d 174 (Ct. App. 1992).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 7
cases, 1992–2019 · leading case: State v. Matthew R. Steffes, 2013 WI 53 (Wis. 2013).
State v. Matthew R. Steffes, 2013 WI 53 (Wis. 2013). “¶44 The majority opinion defines electricity: "[I]n its everyday parlance [electricity] means something that provides power" and that "[a] straightforward reading of this statute combined with the use of dictionaries unequivocally supports the 8 The State might have charged and…”
State v. Davis, 492 N.W.2d 174 (Wis. Ct. App. 1992). “The court's construction of sec. 943.45, Stats., makes subsection (4) meaningless.”
State v. Turner, 6 P.3d 1226 (Wash. Ct. App. 2000). “Wis. Stat. § 943.45 (1)(e) states that “[n]o person may intentionally obtain .”
State v. Turner, 6 P.3d 1226 (Wash. Ct. App. 2000). “[29] Wis. Stat. § 943.45 (1)(e) states that "[n]o person may intentionally obtain .”
Jamerson v. Dep't of Child. & Families, 2012 WI App 32 (Wis. Ct. App. 2012). “38 (l)-(2)); theft of telecommunications services ( Wis. Stat. § 943.45 (1)); theft of commercial mobile service ( Wis.”
State v. Autumn Marie Love Lopez (Wis. 2019). “§ 943.45 ("Theft of telecommunications 10 service," originally entitled "obtaining telecommunications service by fraud") was enacted in 1961.”
State v. Autumn Marie Love Lopez (Wis. 2019). “§ 943.45 ("Theft of telecommunications 10 service," originally entitled "obtaining telecommunications service by fraud") was enacted in 1961.”
— Wis. Stat. § 943.45(1) — 2 cases
State v. Matthew R. Steffes, 2013 WI 53 (Wis. 2013). “¶44 The majority opinion defines electricity: "[I]n its everyday parlance [electricity] means something that provides power" and that "[a] straightforward reading of this statute combined with the use of dictionaries unequivocally supports the 8 The State might have charged and…”
State v. Davis, 492 N.W.2d 174 (Wis. Ct. App. 1992). “The court's construction of sec. 943.45, Stats., makes subsection (4) meaningless.”
— Wis. Stat. § 943.45(1)(e) — 1 case
State v. Davis, 492 N.W.2d 174 (Wis. Ct. App. 1992). “The court's construction of sec. 943.45, Stats., makes subsection (4) meaningless.”
— Wis. Stat. § 943.45(3)(b) — 1 case
State v. Davis, 492 N.W.2d 174 (Wis. Ct. App. 1992). “The court's construction of sec. 943.45, Stats., makes subsection (4) meaningless.”
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