349.18 Additional traffic-control authority of counties and municipalities.

(1) Any city, village or town, by ordinance, may:

(a) Designate the number of persons that may ride on a motor bicycle at any one time and the highways upon which a motor bicycle or moped may or may not be operated.

(b) Establish a golf cart crossing point upon a highway within its limits. An ordinance enacted under this paragraph shall require that a golf cart stop and yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the highway before crossing the highway. The ordinance may require that a golf cart be equipped with reflective devices as specified in the ordinance. The city, village or town shall place a sign of a type approved by the department to mark the crossing point on both sides of the highway.

(c) Regulate the operation of a golf cart to and from a golf course for a distance not to exceed one mile upon a highway under its exclusive jurisdiction. The city, village or town shall place a sign of a type approved by the department to mark any golf cart travel route designated by the ordinance.

(d) Establish a time earlier than that specified in s. 346.94 (23) (d) after which a person may not drive a commercial quadricycle occupied by passengers within the city, village, or town.

(1m)

(a) Except as provided in par. (c), a municipality may, by ordinance, allow the operation of golf carts on any highway that has a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less and that is located within the territorial boundaries of the municipality, regardless of whether the municipality has jurisdiction, for maintenance purposes, over the highway.

(b) Except as provided in par. (c), a county may, by ordinance, allow the operation of golf carts on any highway that has a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less and that is under the jurisdiction, for maintenance purposes, of the county.

(c)

1. An ordinance under this subsection may not allow the operation of golf carts on or, except as provided in subd. 2., across any state trunk highway or connecting highway.

2. A municipality or county may, by ordinance, allow the operation of golf carts across a state trunk or connecting highway if the state trunk or connecting highway has a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less, the highway crossing will connect highways designated for golf cart operation under par. (a) or (b), and the municipality or county provides sufficient funds to the department to cover the costs of erecting and maintaining highway crossing signs. If a highway crossing is established under this subdivision, the department shall erect and maintain any signs necessary to mark the crossing.

(d) An ordinance under this subsection may include a definition of the term “golf cart."

(2) Any city, town or village may by ordinance enacted pursuant to s. 349.06 regulate the operation of bicycles and motor bicycles and may by ordinance require registration of any bicycle or motor bicycle owned by a resident of the city, town or village, including the payment of a registration fee.

(3) Any county, by ordinance, may require the registration of any bicycle or motor bicycle owned by a resident of the county if the bicycle or motor bicycle is not subject to registration under sub. (2). Such ordinance does not apply to any bicycle or motor bicycle subject to registration under sub. (2), even if the effective date of the ordinance under sub. (2) is later than the effective date of the county ordinance. A county may charge a fee for the registration.

(4)

(a) The governing body of a municipality or county may by ordinance prohibit the operation, with the power unit in operation, of electric bicycles on bikeways, as defined under s. 84.60 (1) (a), under its jurisdiction.

(b) The department of natural resources may promulgate rules prohibiting the operation, with the power unit in operation, of electric bicycles on bikeways, as defined under s. 84.60 (1) (a), under its jurisdiction.

History: 1977 c. 116, 288; 1983 a. 243, 288, 343, 538; 1985 a. 135, 197, 298, 332; 1989 a. 167; 1993 a. 246; 1995 a. 138; 1997 a. 27; 2013 a. 20, 106; 2015 a. 125; 2019 a. 34.

Cities and villages cannot license bicyclists, create bicycle courts, or impound bicycles in the absence of express legislative authorization. 66 Atty. Gen. 99.