A Class C felony in Wisconsin is punishable by up to 40 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.1Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 939.50 – Classification of Felonies The prison time is split into two parts under Wisconsin’s bifurcated sentencing law: confinement in prison, capped at 25 years, followed by extended supervision in the community for the remainder.2Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 973.01 – Bifurcated Sentence of Imprisonment and Extended Supervision It sits near the top of Wisconsin’s felony scale, below only Class A and Class B.
What Counts as a Class C Felony
The classification is written into the statute defining each crime, so whether an offense is Class C is set by the legislature rather than chosen by the prosecutor. Offenses at this level include armed robbery under Wisconsin Statutes 943.32(2), which covers taking property from someone by using or threatening a dangerous weapon or an item made to look like one.3Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 943.32 – Robbery Second-degree sexual assault, kidnapping, and certain large-quantity drug manufacturing and distribution charges also fall here. The common thread is serious physical harm, a high risk of violence, or large-scale exploitation.
How the Sentence Is Structured
Every felony sentence in Wisconsin is bifurcated under Wisconsin Statutes 973.01. The judge imposes two components that must be stated at sentencing: a confinement term served in prison, followed by an extended supervision term served in the community. Added together, they cannot exceed the statutory maximum for the offense class. For a Class C felony, the confinement portion cannot exceed 25 years, the total cannot exceed 40 years, and the extended supervision portion must equal at least 25 percent of the confinement term.2Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 973.01 – Bifurcated Sentence of Imprisonment and Extended Supervision
There is no parole-style early release from the confinement portion. A person serves the confinement term in full before moving to extended supervision.
Within those limits, the judge has wide discretion. Sentencing decisions turn on the seriousness of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, victim impact, and any aggravating or mitigating circumstances. Prosecutors and defense attorneys may agree on a recommendation, but the judge is not bound by any plea agreement and can impose any sentence up to the statutory maximum.
Enhancements That Increase the Maximum
Two enhancements commonly extend a Class C sentence beyond the standard 40-year ceiling.
Under Wisconsin Statutes 939.63, committing a felony while possessing, using, or threatening to use a dangerous weapon can add up to five years for any felony carrying a maximum term over five years. Class C qualifies. The enhancement does not apply where the weapon is already an element of the offense, so an armed robbery conviction does not get additional weapon-enhancement time on top of the armed robbery sentence.4Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 939.63 – Penalties Use of a Dangerous Weapon
Wisconsin’s habitual criminality statute, 939.62, can add up to six years for a defendant with a prior felony conviction where the current crime carries a maximum over ten years. The prior felony must have occurred within five years of the current offense, and time spent in prison on the earlier sentence does not count toward that window. Three misdemeanor convictions in the same window can also trigger an enhancement, capped at two additional years.5Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 939.62 – Increased Penalty for Habitual Criminality When both the weapon and habitual enhancements apply, the additional years stack on top of one another and on top of the base maximum.
Fines and Restitution
The $100,000 fine can be imposed on top of prison time rather than in place of it. The actual amount depends on the defendant’s financial circumstances and the nature of the offense, but the ceiling is steep.
Restitution is separate and mandatory under Wisconsin Statutes 973.20. Courts must order defendants to compensate victims for demonstrated losses, while considering the defendant’s financial resources, earning ability, and dependents. A 5 percent surcharge is added on top of restitution and other financial obligations to cover administrative costs.6Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 973.20 – Restitution Restitution obligations survive incarceration and continue through extended supervision.
A person convicted of a Class C felony could face up to $100,000 in fines, the full amount of documented victim losses, and the 5 percent surcharge on top.
Extended Supervision and Revocation
Release to extended supervision is mandatory once the confinement portion is served, under Wisconsin Statutes 302.113. The Department of Corrections sets conditions, which can include regular reporting, employment requirements, travel restrictions, substance abuse testing, and no-contact orders. The sentencing court can add its own conditions.7Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 302.113 – Release to Extended Supervision
Violating a condition can lead to revocation. If revoked, the person returns to prison for a period that cannot exceed the time remaining on the original bifurcated sentence, minus credit for time already served in confinement and any previous revocation periods. After serving the revocation term, they go back on extended supervision for whatever remains. The cycle can repeat until the full sentence is served.7Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 302.113 – Release to Extended Supervision For a Class C sentence with 25 years of confinement and 15 years of extended supervision, that supervision window is long, and treating conditions casually is a common route back to prison.
Consequences That Follow a Conviction
Firearm Rights
A Wisconsin felony conviction triggers a permanent state firearm ban under Wisconsin Statutes 941.29. Possessing a firearm as a felon is itself a Class G felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine.8Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 941.29 – Possession of a Firearm Federal law adds a parallel prohibition under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), which bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment from possessing firearms or ammunition.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts
A gubernatorial pardon can restore state firearm rights, but pardons are rare and available only after the sentence is complete.10Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Pardon Information Even with a state pardon, the federal prohibition remains unless the pardon explicitly restores firearm rights or the conviction is expunged under terms federal courts recognize.
Voting
Wisconsin Statutes 6.03 disqualifies a person with a felony conviction from voting until their rights are restored through a pardon or through the statutory discharge process after the sentence is complete.11Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 6.03 – Disqualified Electors With a long Class C sentence, that can mean decades without a ballot. Once rights are restored, the person must re-register.
Professional Licenses
Licensing boards in nursing, teaching, law enforcement, real estate, and financial services conduct their own reviews independent of the criminal case. A board can revoke or deny a license based on the underlying conduct even if the court imposed a lenient sentence. The review process varies by profession and often involves written responses, documentation, and a possible hearing.
Immigration Status
Non-citizens face severe immigration consequences. Federal immigration law uses its own classification, and many Class C offenses qualify as “aggravated felonies” under that framework, a label that covers more than thirty types of offenses that need not be “aggravated” or a “felony” under state law. A conviction classified as an aggravated felony for immigration purposes makes a person deportable, permanently inadmissible, ineligible for asylum, and ineligible for most discretionary relief, with mandatory detention upon release from criminal custody.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 922 – Unlawful Acts Offenses that fall short of that threshold can still trigger deportation or inadmissibility as crimes involving moral turpitude or drug offenses. A plea that looks favorable on the criminal side can still be catastrophic for immigration, so non-citizens should consult an immigration attorney alongside their defense lawyer before accepting any deal.
Whether a Class C Conviction Can Be Cleared
Wisconsin’s expungement statute, 973.015, will not help. Expungement is only available when the maximum imprisonment for the offense is six years or less and the person was under 25 at the time. A Class C felony’s 40-year maximum puts it far outside that window.12Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 973.015 – Expungement
A gubernatorial pardon is the remaining path. Applications are accepted only after the full sentence, including extended supervision, is complete. A pardon restores certain civil rights and relieves some legal disabilities, but it does not erase the conviction from the record and is not the same as an expungement.10Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Pardon Information
Challenging the Sentence Later
Wisconsin Statutes 974.06 provides a post-conviction procedure for challenging a sentence after the normal appeal window has closed. A person can argue that the sentence violated constitutional rights, that the court lacked jurisdiction, or that the sentence exceeded what the law allows. The court must hold a hearing unless the motion and existing records conclusively show no relief is warranted. If the person cannot afford an attorney, the court can refer them to the State Public Defender for an indigency determination.13Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 974.06 – Postconviction Procedure
All grounds for relief must be raised in the original motion or they are waived. A second motion based on arguments that could have been raised the first time will almost always be denied, which makes the quality of the initial filing decisive. Anyone facing a Class C charge should involve a defense attorney early; those who cannot afford private counsel can apply through the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office.