FAQs — Concealed Carry
About Concealed Carry
The Wisconsin Administrative Code at UWS 18.10(3) prohibits a person from carrying, possessing, or using any dangerous weapon on university lands or in university buildings or facilities, unless it is for law enforcement purposes or the person receives written approval of the chief administrative officer. Chapter 18 permits police to confiscate and remove dangerous weapons from university lands. To the extent Chapter 18 is consistent with Wisconsin Act 35, the University of Wisconsin System will continue to follow and enforce Chapter 18.
In response to questions and concerns from several campuses, we have developed a list of “Frequently Asked Questions” to provide guidance on this issue. We recognize that you may have questions that are not addressed in the FAQs and encourage you to contact General Counsel Tomas Stafford at (608) 263-6105, tstafford@uwsa.edu or Deputy General Counsel Jennifer Lattis at (608) 262-0747, jlattis@uwsa.edu or your campus legal counsel with any other questions you may have.
When does the concealed carry law go into effect?
2011 Wisconsin Act 35 takes effect on the first day of the fourth month beginning after publication. Therefore, the law will not become effective until Nov. 1, 2011. There are some sections that take effect on the day after publication (July 23, 2011) or July 1, 2011, the most noteworthy of which are the amendments barring enforcement of state citations for disorderly conduct, and municipal citations of any kind, for the act of carrying a firearm in an open or concealed manner.
These provisions are effective July 23, 2011, and are important because they prevent state and local law enforcement from charging an individual for carrying a firearm even before it is legal to engage in concealed carry. These provisions do not, however, apply to the enforcement of UWS 18 and UWS 18.10(3) remains in effect.