(1) If a law enforcement agency requests a ferry provider to operate beyond its usual hours of operation to transport an arrested person to a jail or other facility, the law enforcement agency shall be reimbursed for the costs it incurs to pay for the ferry transport pursuant to sub. (2).
814.52.Transport costs.
Ch. 814: Court Costs, Fees, and Surcharges · Last amended 2009 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 814.52 entitles a law enforcement agency to reimbursement for the cost of a ferry provider running beyond usual hours to transport an arrested person to jail, and directs the clerk of circuit court to collect that same amount from a defendant against whom judgment is later entered.
Full Text of Section 814.52
(2) In any civil or criminal action or proceeding, if a circuit court enters a judgment against a defendant who was the subject of a ferry transport described in sub. (1), the clerk of circuit court shall collect costs in an amount equal to the costs incurred by a law enforcement agency under sub. (1). When judgment is entered against the defendant, the defendant shall pay the costs and the clerk of circuit court shall pay the law enforcement agency that requested the transport.
Plain-English Summary
Section 814.52 addresses a narrow but concrete expense: what happens when a law enforcement agency has to ask a ferry provider to run outside its normal hours to get an arrested person to jail or another facility. Subsection (1) entitles the agency to reimbursement for the cost it incurs paying for that ferry transport.
Subsection (2) sets up how that reimbursement happens. In any civil or criminal action or proceeding, if a circuit court enters judgment against a defendant who was the subject of that ferry transport, the clerk of circuit court collects costs from the defendant equal to what the law enforcement agency spent. Once judgment is entered, the defendant pays those costs, and the clerk in turn pays the law enforcement agency that requested the transport — so the expense ultimately lands on the person whose arrest and transport generated it, rather than staying with the agency or the county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for a ferry transport a law enforcement agency arranges outside normal hours to get an arrested person to jail?
The law enforcement agency initially bears the cost, but section 814.52(1) entitles the agency to reimbursement for what it pays the ferry provider.
How does the law enforcement agency get reimbursed for the ferry transport cost?
Under section 814.52(2), if a circuit court enters judgment against the defendant who was the subject of the ferry transport, the clerk of circuit court collects the equivalent cost from the defendant and pays it to the requesting law enforcement agency.
Does the defendant pay the ferry transport cost directly to the law enforcement agency?
No. Section 814.52(2) routes the payment through the clerk of circuit court, who collects the cost from the defendant upon judgment and then pays the law enforcement agency.
Does this section apply to both criminal and civil cases?
Yes. Section 814.52(2) applies in any civil or criminal action or proceeding where judgment is entered against a defendant who was the subject of the described ferry transport.
What triggers the law enforcement agency’s right to reimbursement in the first place?
Requesting a ferry provider to operate beyond its usual hours of operation to transport an arrested person to a jail or other facility, under section 814.52(1).
Amendment History
History: 2009 a. 72.
Source & verification. Section text and official notes are
reproduced verbatim from the Wisconsin Statutes, published by the
Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau). Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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