In effect
Limited protection
Wisconsin Act 213 of 2013 — Drone Surveillance Crime
Wisconsin · Wis. Stat. §§ 942.10, 175.55
Wisconsin made it a Class A misdemeanor to use a drone to observe or record any person in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and requires police to obtain a warrant before using drones for surveillance.
Technical detail
Wis. Stat. § 942.10 (drone-surveillance crime), added by 2013 Wisconsin Act 213; companion warrant rule at Wis. Stat. § 175.55.
Who is protected: Wisconsin residents in places with a reasonable expectation of privacy
Who must comply: All drone operators in Wisconsin; Wisconsin law-enforcement agencies
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2014-04-10 |
| Enacted | 2014-04-08 |
| Citation | Wis. Stat. §§ 942.10, 175.55 |
| Enforced by | Wisconsin Department of Justice; local district attorneys |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Class A misdemeanor (up to 9 months / $10,000); evidence suppression |
| Topics | consumer data privacy · police and surveillance AI |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | Wisconsin Legislature — 2013 Wisconsin Act 213 ↗ |
More AI rules in Wisconsin
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- WI PDD Act 13 (2017) · In effect
- WI AI Election Disclosure Law · In effect
- WI AI CSAM Law · In effect
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- State of Wisconsin Acceptable Technology Use, Access, and Se · In effect
Related consumer data privacy rules elsewhere
- Vermont Data Broker Law (H.211) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Chatrie v. United States (Fourth Amendment protection for lo · Blocked / in litigation
- House Bill 2512 — Banning surveillance pricing by rideshare · Proposed / pending
- Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) (H.R. 7757) · Proposed / pending
- Maine LD 61 (employer surveillance disclosure & prohibition) · In effect
- Washington SHB 1672 (employee monitoring notice, ADS restrictions, emotion AI ban) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction — every entry must carry a verifiable official source.