Restrictions on the Use of Firearms in Wisconsin

 Posted on May 31,2022 in Criminal Law

The second amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, but that right is not always absolute. To protect public safety, states including Wisconsin have put restrictions on the type of firearms and other weapons that can be possessed, and the manner in which they can be used. While some of these restrictions may be common knowledge, others are more obscure. Violating any of firearms laws could result in misdemeanor or felony charges, depending on the severity of the case or the conduct of the violator.

Examples of Firearms Restrictions

Here are some of the restrictions that have been placed on firearms or the conduct of citizens by the Wisconsin legislature. These laws have exceptions for members of law enforcement or the military while operating in the course of their employment or their official capacity.

• Possession of a firearm while intoxicated – You cannot be armed or operate a firearm if you are under the influence of alcohol or any other controlled substance. There are also restrictions on the possession of handguns at public premises that serve alcohol.

• Negligent operation - You cannot intentionally point a firearm at another person or otherwise handle a weapon in a dangerous manner.

• Concealed carry without a permit – Wisconsin allows for concealed carry of a weapon on your person or in a motor vehicle, but only if you have a valid concealed carry permit.

• Carry a firearm in a public building – You are not allowed to carry a firearm into any building that is owned or leased by the state or any other local or county government.

• Gun silencers – You cannot use, possess, or sell any device that is used for silencing or muffling the sound of a firearm.

• Imitation firearms – Look-alike or imitation guns and other firearms are prohibited. This does not include any antique replica firearms made before 1898 or any look-alike firearms that have the appropriate markings, including an orange muzzle end, that designate them as imitations.

• Possession of machine guns, short-barreled shotguns, or short-barreled rifles – Wisconsin prohibits the use of fully automated machine guns, modifying a gun to make it automatic, and the use of short-barreled firearms.

• Possession of a weaponized drone – You cannot possess or use any remotely controlled aerial vehicle that has been modified to carry a weapon.

Contact a Waukesha Weapons Charges Defense Attorney

If you have been accused of violating any firearms laws in the state of Wisconsin, contact Bucher, Wolff & Sonderhouse, LLP. Our Kenosha County firearms defense attorneys have experience in local courts and will build the best case to fight your charges. Contact our office by calling 262-232-6699 to set up your

Source:

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/941/iii/20