In addition to any forfeiture imposed in an action under s. 345.20, a defendant shall pay the following surcharges if applicable:
814.79.Surcharges in ch. 345 forfeiture actions.
Ch. 814: Court Costs, Fees, and Surcharges · Last amended 2015 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 814.79 lists the surcharges a Wisconsin court must add to a forfeiture imposed for a traffic regulation violation prosecuted under section 345.20, cross-referencing the separate statutes that fix each surcharge’s dollar amount.
Full Text of Section 814.79
(1) The court support services surcharge under s. 814.85. (2) The crime laboratories and drug law enforcement surcharge under s. 165.755. (3m) The crime victim and witness assistance surcharge under s. 973.045 (1m). (4) The delinquency victim and witness surcharge under s. 938.34 (8d) (a). (4m) The driver improvement surcharge under s. 346.655. (4p) The safe ride program surcharge under s. 346.657. (4r) The ignition interlock surcharge under s. 343.301 (5). (5) The jail surcharge under s. 302.46 (1). (6) The justice information system surcharge under s. 814.86 (1). (7) The penalty surcharge under s. 757.05. (8) The railroad crossing improvement surcharge under s. 346.177, 346.495, or 346.65 (4r). (9) The special prosecution clerks surcharge under s. 814.86 (1m). (10) The truck driver education surcharge under s. 349.04.
Plain-English Summary
Chapter 345 governs traffic regulation forfeiture actions, and s. 345.20 sets the framework this list attaches to. Section 814.79 lists the surcharges that stack on top of a forfeiture imposed under that provision.
The list includes the court support services surcharge under s. 814.85, the crime laboratories and drug law enforcement surcharge, the crime victim and witness assistance surcharge, the delinquency victim and witness surcharge, the driver improvement surcharge, the safe ride program surcharge, the ignition interlock surcharge, the jail surcharge, the justice information system surcharge under s. 814.86 (1), the penalty surcharge, the railroad crossing improvement surcharge, the special prosecution clerks surcharge under s. 814.86 (1m), and the truck driver education surcharge. The mix of driver improvement, railroad crossing, safe ride, and ignition interlock surcharges gives this list a distinctly traffic-focused character compared to its sibling sections.
As elsewhere, each surcharge applies only “if applicable” to the violation before the court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What surcharges apply to a traffic forfeiture case under chapter 345 in Wisconsin?
The list in section 814.79, applying to violations prosecuted under section 345.20.
Is the railroad crossing improvement surcharge part of this list?
Yes, under (8).
Does the ignition interlock surcharge apply to chapter 345 forfeitures?
Yes, under (4r).
How does chapter 345 differ from chapters 23 or 66 for surcharge purposes?
Each chapter gets its own forfeiture-surcharge list tailored to that chapter’s subject matter; chapter 345 covers traffic regulation, chapter 23 covers natural resources, and chapter 66 covers municipal ordinances.
Do I owe every surcharge on the section 814.79 list for a traffic forfeiture?
No, only the ones applicable to the violation prosecuted.
Amendment History
History: 2003 a. 139; 2005 a. 25; 2007 a. 84; 2009 a. 100; 2015 a. 55.
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
Also known as: wisconsin chapter 345 traffic forfeiture surcharges814.79 wisconsin statutetraffic ticket surcharge wisconsins 345.20 forfeiture surcharges