Odd Laws Still on the Books
Margarine only on request, a crashed plane in the lake, and a triangle on the mailbox: real Wisconsin sections
Lists of strange state laws get passed around with no section number attached. Every one below has one, read from the Wisconsin Statutes.
Who handles this in Wisconsin: State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Wisconsin directory.
| The law | What it says | Breaking it |
|---|---|---|
| The lawMargarine at a restaurant | What it saysA public eating place may not serve colored margarine in place of table butter unless the customer orders it, and state institutions may not serve it to students, patients or inmates in place of butter without a doctor's direction. | Breaking itA fine of $100 to $500, up to 3 months, or both |
| The lawA crashed plane in the lake | What it saysThe owner of an aircraft that crashes in the state's waters must remove it within 30 days of the latest of the dates the section names. | Breaking itA forfeiture of up to $500 |
| The lawA triangle on the mailbox | What it saysThe slow moving vehicle emblem may not be put on roadside objects such as mailboxes or signposts, or on any vehicle it is not meant for. | Breaking itA violation of the vehicle code |
| The lawStudded tires | What it saysStudded tires are allowed only on emergency vehicles, school buses, mail delivery vehicles, and out of state cars passing through for no more than 30 days. | Breaking itA violation of the vehicle code |
| The lawDognapping | What it saysNo one may take another person's dog or cat from one place to another without the owner's consent. | Breaking itA violation of the animal chapter |
Many laws that sound strange are local ordinances rather than state law, and those differ from place to place; this page covers only the Wisconsin Statutes. Whether a particular act broke one of these sections is a question for a licensed Wisconsin attorney.
Sources for this section (5)
- Wis. Stat. 97.18 — Oleomargarine regulations
- Wis. Stat. 287.81 — Littering
- Wis. Stat. 347.245 — Identification emblem on slow moving vehicles
- Wis. Stat. 347.45 — Tire equipment
- Wis. Stat. 951.03 — Dognapping and catnapping
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.