A person commits the crime of indecent exposure by exposing the person’s body or private parts (usually genitals, anus, buttocks, or female breasts) in a public place and in the presence of another person who might be offended, alarmed, or annoyed. Laws vary from state to state—including definitions of exposed body parts—and some states require the exposure to have been made with the intent to attract attention or to sexually gratify the person making the indecent exposure, or to sexually gratify another person, or to offend another person.

Indecent exposure laws are generally located in a state’s statutes—often in the penal or criminal code.

In Wisconsin, indecent exposure is addressed under the state's statutes, specifically in the Wisconsin Statutes Section 944.20, which deals with lewd and lascivious behavior. A person may be charged with this offense if they commit sexually indecent acts in public, which can include the exposure of genitals or a female's breasts. The law in Wisconsin does not necessarily require the intent to sexually gratify oneself or another, or to offend someone, as a condition for the act to be considered criminal. However, the context and conduct surrounding the act are relevant to determining whether the behavior meets the threshold for the offense. The statutes consider the potential for others to be offended or alarmed by such exposure. Penalties for indecent exposure can vary, but they may include fines, imprisonment, or both, depending on the severity of the offense and the presence of aggravating factors, such as prior convictions or the presence of minors.