2022 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 941 - Crimes against public health and safety.
941.26 - Machine guns and other weapons; use in certain cases; penalty.

941.26 Machine guns and other weapons; use in certain cases; penalty.

(1c) In this section:

(a) “CS gel” means nonatomizing, gel-form chlorobenzalmalononitrile.

(b) “Machine gun" has the meaning given in s. 941.25 (1).

(1g)

(a) No person may sell, possess, use or transport any machine gun or other full automatic firearm.

(b) Except as provided in sub. (4), no person may sell, possess, use or transport any tear gas bomb, hand grenade, projectile or shell or any other container of any kind or character into which tear gas or any similar substance is used or placed for use to cause bodily discomfort, panic, or damage to property.

(1m) No person may take a firearm that is not designed to shoot more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger and modify the firearm so that it does shoot more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.

(2)

(a) Any person violating sub. (1g) (a) is guilty of a Class H felony.

(b) Any person violating sub. (1m) is guilty of a Class F felony.

(c) Except as provided in par. (d), any person who violates sub. (1g) (b) regarding the possession, noncommercial transportation or use of the bomb, grenade, projectile, shell, or container under sub. (1g) (b) is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(d) Any person who violates sub. (1g) (b) regarding the possession, noncommercial transportation or use of the bomb, grenade, projectile, shell, or container under sub. (1g) (b) in self-defense or defense of another, as allowed under s. 939.48, is subject to a Class D forfeiture.

(e) Any person who violates sub. (1g) (b) regarding the sale or commercial transportation of the bomb, grenade, projectile, shell, or container under sub. (1g) (b) is guilty of a Class H felony.

(f) Any person who violates sub. (1g) (b) regarding the use of the bomb, grenade, projectile, shell or container under sub. (1g) (b) to cause bodily harm or bodily discomfort to a person who the actor knows, or has reason to know, is a peace officer who is acting in an official capacity is guilty of a Class H felony.

(g) Any person who violates sub. (1g) (b) regarding the use of the bomb, grenade, projectile, shell or container under sub. (1g) (b) during his or her commission of another crime to cause bodily harm or bodily discomfort to another or who threatens to use the bomb, grenade, projectile, shell, or container during his or her commission of another crime to incapacitate another person is guilty of a Class H felony.

(3) This section does not apply to the sale, possession, modification, use or transportation of any weapons or containers under sub. (1g) or (1m) to or by any armed forces or national guard personnel in the line of duty, any civil enforcement officer of the state or of any city or county. This section does not apply to the sale, possession, modification, use, or transportation of weapons under sub. (1g) (a) or (1m) to or by any person duly authorized by the chief of police of any city or the sheriff of any county. This section does not apply to the restoration of any weapon under sub. (1g) (a) or (1m) by a person having a license to collect firearms as curios or relics issued by the U.S. department of the treasury. The restriction on transportation contained in this section does not apply to common carriers.

(4)

(a) Subsections (1g) to (3) do not apply to any device or container that contains a combination of oleoresin of capsicum or CS gel and inert ingredients but does not contain any other gas or substance that will cause bodily discomfort.

(b) Whoever intentionally uses a device or container described under par. (a) to cause bodily harm or bodily discomfort to another is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(c) Paragraph (b) does not apply to any of the following:

1. Any person acting in self-defense or defense of another, as allowed under s. 939.48.

2. Any peace officer acting in his or her official capacity. Notwithstanding s. 939.22 (22), for purposes of this subdivision, peace officer does not include a commission warden who is not a state-certified commission warden.

3. Any armed forces or national guard personnel acting in the line of duty.

(d) Whoever intentionally uses a device or container described under par. (a) to cause bodily harm or bodily discomfort to a person who the actor knows, or has reason to know, is a peace officer who is acting in an official capacity is guilty of a Class H felony.

(e) Whoever uses a device or container described under par. (a) during his or her commission of another crime to cause bodily harm or bodily discomfort to another or who threatens to use the device or container during his or her commission of another crime to incapacitate another person is guilty of a Class H felony.

(g)

1. Any person who sells or distributes a device or container described under par. (a) to a person who has not attained 18 years of age is subject to a Class C forfeiture.

1m. Subdivision 1. does not apply to an actor who is a parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a person who has not attained 18 years of age if the actor gives the person the device or container.

2. A person who proves all of the following by a preponderance of the evidence has a defense to prosecution under subd. 1.:

a. That the purchaser or distributee falsely represented that he or she had attained the age of 18 and presented an identification card.

b. That the appearance of the purchaser or distributee was such that an ordinary and prudent person would believe that the purchaser or distributee had attained the age of 18.

c. That the sale was made in good faith, in reasonable reliance on the identification card and appearance of the purchaser or distributee and in the belief that the purchaser or distributee had attained the age of 18.

(j) Whoever intentionally sells a device or container described under par. (a) without providing the purchaser with a proper label on the device or container and written safety instructions for using the device or container is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(k)

1. Except as provided in subd. 2., any person who has not attained the age of 18 years and who possesses a device or container described under par. (a) is subject to a Class E forfeiture.

2. Subdivision 1. does not apply if the person's parent, guardian, or legal custodian purchased the device or container for him or her or gave the device or container to him or her.

(L) Any person who has been convicted of a felony in this state or has been convicted of a crime elsewhere that would be a felony if committed in this state who possesses a device or container described under par. (a) is subject to a Class A misdemeanor. This paragraph does not apply if the person has received a pardon for the felony or crime.

(m) The department of justice may not promulgate or enforce any rule that regulates a device or container described under par. (a).

(5) This section does not prohibit or interfere with the manufacture for, and sale of, machine guns to the military forces or the peace officers of the United States or of any political subdivision thereof, or the transportation required for that purpose; the possession of a machine gun for scientific purpose, or the possession of a machine gun not usable as a weapon and possessed as a curiosity, ornament, or keepsake; or the possession of a machine gun other than one adapted to use pistol cartridges for a purpose manifestly not aggressive or offensive.

History: 1977 c. 173; 1987 a. 234; 1991 a. 137; 1993 a. 91; 1995 a. 25; 2001 a. 109; 2007 a. 27; 2013 a. 77; 2015 a. 197; 2019 a. 52.