Section 45.05. Vehicles.

 

(1)   Traffic and parking.

(a) No person may operate any vehicle at a speed in excess of 25 miles per hour or contrary to state highway or department traffic signs.

(b) All vehicles shall stop at department property entrance stations when such stop is ordered by department signs.

(c) No person may operate or park any vehicle as defined in s. 340.01 (74) , Stats., which is required to be registered by law on lands under the management, supervision and control of the department except:

1. On highways as defined in s. 340.01 (22) , Stats.

2. In posted parking areas and boat ramps.

3. Overnight by permit at state trail parking areas.

4. As otherwise specifically authorized by law or administrative rule.

(d) No person may park, stop or leave standing, whether attended or unattended, any vehicle or watercraft:

1. In any manner as to block, obstruct or limit the use of any road, trail, waterway or winter sport facility, or

2. Outside of any area provided for such purposes when it is practical to use such areas, or

3. Contrary to posted notice.

(e) Any vehicle or watercraft in violation of par. (d) may be towed off the property and stored at the owner's expense.

(f) No person may operate a motor vehicle as defined in s. 340.01 (35) , Stats., off highways and parking lots while under the influence of an intoxicant or a controlled substance.

(g) No person may operate a motor vehicle as defined in s. 340.01 (35) , Stats., off highways and parking lots without a valid driver's license issued by this or another state or province, except for off-highway motorcycles in areas authorized for off-highway motorcycles.

(h) No person may operate an all-terrain vehicle off the developed portion of a designated all-terrain vehicle trail.

(i) Electric personal assistive mobility devices as defined in s. 340.01 (15pm) , Stats., are prohibited on department lands except where authorized in the property master plan or posted open for their use.

(2)   Abandoned vehicles. No person may leave any vehicle unattended without prior departmental approval for more than 48 hours under such circumstances as to cause the vehicle to reasonably appear to have been abandoned. An abandoned vehicle shall constitute a public nuisance.

(3)   Vehicle operation.

(a) Posted notices. Except as provided, no vehicle may be operated on lands and waters under the supervision, management or control of the department unless its use is specifically authorized by posted notice.

(b) Snowmobile races. No person may conduct or engage in snowmobile races on any lands under the supervision, management or control of the department.

(c) Speed limits. No person operating a vehicle may violate the posted speed limit.

(d) Persons with physical disabilities. The department may authorize by permit persons with physical disabilities to use a motorized vehicle as a mode of personal conveyance.

(e) Bicycles. Except where provided in this chapter, bicycles are prohibited on all department lands except on public highways and areas or trails posted for their use. Bicycles are permitted in all areas, except where posted against such use, on the northern state forests, the Turtle-Flambeau and the Willow flowage scenic waters areas.

(f) Bicycle trails. Bicyclists shall stop at any stop signs which are located on designated bicycle trails.

(g) Prohibition. No person may ride a bicycle in a careless, negligent or reckless manner so as to endanger the life, property or persons of others on any lands under the management, supervision and control of the department.

(h) All-terrain vehicle routes. The department may establish all-terrain vehicle routes on northern state forests over state forest roads, under s. 23.33 (4) (b) , Stats., that are:

1. Specified in a department master plan under ch. NR 44 , and

2. Signed in accordance with s. NR 64.12 .

(4)   Aircraft. No person may land or launch any aircraft on the water or ice of Devil's lake in Devil's Lake state park, Sauk county; all waters in Governor Dodge state park, Iowa county, and Willow River state park, St. Croix county; Crystal lake in the Northern Highland state forest, Vilas county; Lake of the Dalles in Interstate park, Polk county; Mauthe lake in the Kettle Moraine state forest, Fond du Lac county; Lake Seven in the Kettle Moraine state forest, Sheboygan county; Ottawa lake in the Kettle Moraine state forest, Waukesha county; Interfalls lake in Pattison state park, Douglas county; Yellowstone lake in Yellowstone Lake state park, Lafayette county, and on all waters and lands, except model aircraft and hang gliders, in the Richard Bong state recreation area, Kenosha county.

(5)   Off-highway motorcycles and dual-sport motorcycles.

(a) Noise and exhaust. Off-highway motorcycles and dual-sport motorcycles shall have an unaltered U.S. forest service approved spark-arrester muffler emitting a sound level not to exceed 96 decibels on the A scale when measured in the manner prescribed in the reaffirmed 1998-07, Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J1287, titled Measurement of Exhaust Sound Levels of Stationary Motorcycles .

(b) Rules .

1. No person may operate or be a passenger or allow a person to operate or be a passenger on an off-highway motorcycle or dual-sport motorcycle without wearing protective headgear of the type required under s. 347.485 (1) (a) , Stats., and with the chin strap properly fastened.

2. Minimum age for the operation of an off-highway motorcycle or dual-sport motorcycle is 12 years unless accompanied by his or her parent, legal guardian, or certified safety instructor.

3. No operator may refuse to stop their off-highway motorcycle or dual-sport motorcycle after being requested or signaled to do so by a law enforcement officer.

4. Any crash that results in an injury requiring treatment by a physician or a fatal incident shall be reported as soon as possible to a law enforcement officer.

5. All operators of off-highway motorcycles or dual-sport motorcycles 16 years of age or older shall have in their possession a valid state trail pass, if the property requires a state trail pass.

Cr. Register, December, 1983, No. 336 , eff. 1-1-84; r. and recr. (3), r. (4) (a), Register, August, 1986, No. 368 , eff. 9-1-86; r. and recr. (3) (d), Register, September, 1990, No. 417 , eff. 10-1-90; r. and recr. (3) (e), Register, March, 1992, No. 435 , eff. 4-1-92; am. (3) (d), renum. (4) (b) to be (4), Register, December, 1993, No. 456 , eff. 1-1-94; cr. (1) (f) and am. (3) (e), Register, November, 1995, No. 479 , eff. 12-1-95; am. (3) (e), cr. (3) (f) and (g), Register, December, 1997, No. 504 , eff. 1-1-98; CR 01-011 : am. (3) (e) Register April 2002 No. 556 , eff. 5-1-02; CR 03-035 : am. (4) Register December 2003 No. 576 , eff. 1-1-04; CR 07-026 : am. (1) (f), cr. (1) (g) to (i) and (5) Register December 2007 No. 624 , eff. 1-1-08; CR 10-042 : cr. (3) (h) Register December 2010 No. 660 , eff. 1-1-11.

Note

Wheelchairs used by the physically disabled are not motorized vehicles. Permits must be obtained from the property manager or designee. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Copies and amendments of the Society of Automotive Engineers Technical Report 1998-07, Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J1287, titled Measurement of Exhaust Sound Levels of Stationary Motorcycles , is available for inspection in the following offices: (A) The Department of Natural Resources, 101 S. Webster St., Madison, Wisconsin 53707. (B) The Legislative Reference Bureau, One E. Main St., Madison, Wisconsin. (C) The Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, Pennsylvania 15096. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1 Accompanied means being subject to continuous verbal direction or control and not necessarily accompanied on the same machine. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1