Former law enforcement officers seeking to carry concealed weapons
Wis. Stat. § 175.49
in effect(1) Definitions. In this section:
(a) “Department” means the department of justice.
(b) “Destructive device” has the meaning given in 18 USC 921 (a) (4).
(c) “Firearm silencer” has the meaning given in s. 941.298 (1).
(d) “Former federal law enforcement officer” means a person who separated from service as a law enforcement officer at a federal law enforcement agency and who resides in Wisconsin.
(e) “Former law enforcement officer” means a person who separated from service as a law enforcement officer at a state or local law enforcement agency in Wisconsin.
(em) “Former out-of-state law enforcement officer” means a person who separated from service as a law enforcement officer at a state or local law enforcement agency in a state other than Wisconsin and who resides in Wisconsin.
(f) “Law enforcement agency” means an agency that consists of one or more persons employed by the federal government, including any agency described under 18 USC 926C (e) (2); a state, or a political subdivision of a state; the U.S. armed forces; or the national guard, that has as its purposes the prevention and detection of crime and the enforcement of laws or ordinances, and that is authorized to make arrests for crimes.
(g) “Law enforcement officer” means a person who is employed by a law enforcement agency for the purpose of engaging in, or supervising others engaging in, the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of, or the incarceration of any person for, any violation of law and who has statutory powers of arrest.
(h) “Machine gun” has the meaning given in s. 941.25 (1).
(i) “Successor agency” means a law enforcement agency that assumes the responsibilities and duties of another law enforcement agency.
(2) Certification of former law enforcement officers.
(a) Upon the request of a former law enforcement officer and at the expense of the former law enforcement officer, a law enforcement agency that employed the former law enforcement officer, or its successor agency, shall, except as provided in par. (b), issue the former law enforcement officer a certification card as described in sub. (4) stating all of the following:
1. The type of firearm the former law enforcement officer is certified to carry, but no former law enforcement officer may be certified to carry a machine gun, a firearm silencer, or a destructive device.
2. The former law enforcement officer has been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under subd. 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by the law enforcement agency from which the former law enforcement officer separated or its successor agency.
3. The date on which the finding under subd. 2. was made and an expiration date that is 12 months later than that date.
4. That, due to the finding under subd. 2., the former law enforcement officer is qualified to carry a concealed firearm of the type under subd. 1.
(b) The law enforcement agency may not issue the former law enforcement officer a certification card under par. (a) unless the law enforcement agency first verifies all of the following:
1. The former law enforcement officer separated from service as a law enforcement officer with the law enforcement agency that employed him or her in good standing.
2. The former law enforcement officer served as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of at least 10 years or the former law enforcement officer separated from law enforcement service due to a service-connected disability, as determined by the law enforcement agency from which he or she separated from service, after completing any applicable probationary period.
3. Both of the following:
a. A qualified medical professional employed by the law enforcement agency from which the former law enforcement officer separated from service has not found the former law enforcement officer to be unqualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to the former officer’s mental health.
b. The former law enforcement officer has not entered into an agreement with the law enforcement agency from which he or she separated from service in which the former officer acknowledges that he or she is not qualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to his or her mental health and in which he or she declines the photographic identification for that reason.
4. The former law enforcement officer is not prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm as indicated by a search of the transaction information for management of enforcement system and the national criminal background check system.
5. The former law enforcement officer has, during the previous 12 months at his or her own expense, been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under par. (a) 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by the law enforcement agency from which the former law enforcement officer separated or its successor agency.
(3) Certification of former federal and out-of-state law enforcement officers.
(a) Upon the request of a former federal law enforcement officer or a former out-of-state law enforcement officer and at the expense of that law enforcement officer, the department may, except as provided in par. (b), issue the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer a certification card as described in sub. (4) stating all of the following:
1. The type of firearm the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer is certified to carry, but no former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer may be certified to carry a machine gun, a firearm silencer, or a destructive device.
2. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer has been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under subd. 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by any law enforcement agency in the state.
3. The date on which the finding under subd. 2. was made and an expiration date that is 12 months later than that date.
4. That, due to the finding under subd. 2., the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer is qualified to carry a concealed firearm of the type under subd. 1.
(b) The department may not issue a former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer a certification card under par. (a) unless the department first verifies all of the following:
1. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer separated from service as a law enforcement officer with the law enforcement agency in good standing.
2. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer served as a law enforcement officer for an aggregate of at least 10 years or the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer separated from law enforcement service due to a service-connected disability, as determined by the law enforcement agency from which the former officer separated, after completing any applicable probationary period.
3.
a. A qualified medical professional employed by the law enforcement agency from which the former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer separated has not found the former officer to be unqualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to the former officer’s mental health.
b. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer has not entered into an agreement with the law enforcement agency from which he or she separated from service in which the former officer acknowledges that he or she is not qualified to be a law enforcement officer for reasons related to his or her mental health.
4. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer is not prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm as indicated by a search of the transaction information for management of enforcement system and the national criminal background check system.
5. The former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer has, during the previous 12 months at his or her own expense, been found by the state, or by a certified firearms instructor if such an instructor is qualified to conduct a firearms qualification test for active law enforcement officers in the state, to meet the standards for qualification in firearms training for active law enforcement officers to carry a firearm of the type under par. (a) 1., that are established by the state or, if the state does not establish standards, by any law enforcement agency in the state.
(c) If, under par. (a), the department issues a former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer a certification card, the department shall add the former officer’s information to the list the department maintains under s. 175.60 (12) (a).
(4) Certification cards.
(a)
1. Subject to pars. (b), (c), and (d) and sub. (3) (a), the department shall design a certification card to be issued by the department under sub. (3) (a).
2. Subject to pars. (b), (c), and (d) and sub. (2) (a), each law enforcement agency, upon a request, shall design a certification card to be issued by the law enforcement agency under sub. (2) (a).
(b) A certification card shall contain on one side all of the following:
1. The full name, date of birth, and residence address of the person who holds the certification card.
2. A photograph of the certification card holder and a physical description that includes sex, height, and eye color.
3. The name of this state.
(c) A certification card shall include a statement that the certification card does not confer any law enforcement authority on the certification card holder and does not make the certification card holder an employee or agent of the certifying agency or department.
(d) A certification card may not contain the certification card holder’s social security number.
(5) Renewal of certification cards. A person who holds a current certification card issued under sub. (2) or (3) may renew the certification card by requesting the law enforcement agency or its successor agency, if the card was issued under sub. (2), or the department, if the card was issued under sub. (3), to renew the certification card at the expense of the person holding the card, if, before the date the certification card expires, the law enforcement agency verifies sub. (2) (b) 4. and 5. if the certification card holder is a former law enforcement officer, or the department verifies sub. (3) (b) 4. and 5. if the certification card holder is a former federal law enforcement officer or former out-of-state law enforcement officer, and the certification card holder provides any information necessary for the verification. The renewal shall state the date on which verification was made and an expiration date that is 12 months later than that date.
(5m) Fees. The department may charge a fee to verify eligibility for a certification card under this section, for the issuance of a certification card under sub. (3), or for the renewal of a certification card under sub. (5), but the fee may not exceed the costs the department incurs in verifying eligibility or for issuing or renewing a certification card. Payments made to the department under this subsection shall be credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.455 (2) (gr).
(6) Immunity.
(a) When acting in good faith under this section, the department and its employees and a law enforcement agency and its employees are immune from civil and criminal liability arising from any act or omission under this section.
(b) When acting in good faith under this section, an entity providing firearms training to comply with the requirements under sub. (2) (a) 2., (3) (a) 2., or (5) and its employees are immune from civil and criminal liability arising from any act or omission that is related to that training.
(7) Going armed with a firearm. This section does not limit a former officer’s right to go armed with a firearm that is not concealed.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/175.49Fetched: 10/7/2026