Wisconsin Statute 346.46: Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign

Running a stop sign in Wisconsin costs $175.30 for a first offense and adds three demerit points to your driving record. A second violation within the same year rises to $213.10, work zone violations double the base forfeiture, and a stop sign ticket that causes injury or death can become a criminal charge.

What Counts as Running a Stop Sign

Wisconsin Statute 346.46 requires every driver approaching a stop sign to bring the vehicle to a complete stop before entering the intersection and then yield to any vehicle already in or approaching on the uncontrolled road. A complete stop means zero movement. Rolling through at two miles per hour counts as a violation.¹

Where you stop matters as much as whether you stop. The statute sets a priority:

If there’s a marked stop line, stop immediately before crossing it.
If there’s no stop line but there is a crosswalk, stop before entering the crosswalk on your side of the intersection.
If there’s neither, stop at a point where you can see traffic on the cross street well enough to judge whether it’s safe to proceed.

That last rule has a wrinkle worth knowing. If you stop at the marked line but can’t actually see oncoming traffic from there because a hedge or parked truck blocks your view, you’re expected to make a second stop closer to the intersection where you have visibility.¹

School crossings carry their own rule under 346.46(2m). When an adult school crossing guard directs you to stop, you must halt between 10 and 30 feet from the crossing and wait until the guard signals you to proceed.¹

How the $175.30 Fine Breaks Down

The base forfeiture under Wisconsin Statute 346.49 ranges from $20 to $40 for a first offense. The base is just the starting point. Wisconsin stacks several mandatory additions on top:

A penalty surcharge equal to 26% of the base forfeiture
Court costs of $23.00
Justice information fee and other surcharges totaling $89.50
Court support services surcharge of $25.00

With a typical $30 base forfeiture, those additions bring the total to $175.30.²

Cyclists, electric scooter operators, and electric personal assistive mobility device users face a lower cap. The base forfeiture for them can’t exceed $20.³

Repeat Offenses and Work Zones

A second stop sign violation within the same year carries a base forfeiture of $50 to $100, which pushes the total to roughly $213.10 after surcharges.²

Running a stop sign in a highway maintenance area, construction zone, railroad work area, utility work area, or emergency response area where workers are at risk doubles the base forfeiture. The first-offense range becomes $40 to $80, with the total landing around $213.10 after surcharges. A second work zone violation within one year can reach $288.70.²

If the work zone violation causes bodily harm to someone, the consequences change category. The offense becomes punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment of up to nine months, or both. A court can also order 100 to 200 hours of community service and mandatory attendance at traffic safety school.³

Demerit Points and When Your License Gets Suspended

Every stop sign conviction adds three demerit points to your Wisconsin driving record.²

Points accumulate over a rolling 12-month window. Hit 12 or more and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation suspends your license. Length of suspension depends on your license type and how many points you’ve racked up.

For regular and CDL holders: 12 to 16 points triggers a two-month suspension; 17 to 22 points, four months; 23 to 30 points, six months; more than 30 points, one year.

For drivers on a probationary license, instruction permit, or no license: 12 to 30 points triggers a six-month suspension; more than 30 points, one year.

Probationary and permit drivers face an extra penalty. Demerit points are doubled on a second and subsequent moving violation conviction.⁴ That doubling means a second stop sign ticket would add six points rather than three, so two stop sign violations alone would put a probationary driver at nine points — close to the suspension threshold.⁵

What It Does to Your Insurance

A stop sign ticket is a moving violation, so your auto insurer will see it when they pull your driving record at renewal. Most drivers see a premium increase, though the exact amount depends on the insurer, your overall driving history, and whether you have other recent violations. A single minor ticket on an otherwise clean record may produce a modest bump. A stop sign violation layered on top of other infractions can trigger a much steeper hike or even policy non-renewal.

The violation typically affects your rates for three to five years, depending on the insurer’s lookback period. Multiple violations or an accident caused by running a stop sign can also disqualify you from “clean record” discounts. Some insurers recognize completion of a defensive driving course as a mitigating factor, though this varies by company.

What to Do With the Ticket

Your citation will include a deadline to respond by entering a plea of guilty, no contest, or not guilty. Ignoring the ticket is the worst option. Under Wisconsin Statute 345.47, if you don’t pay a forfeiture judgment, the court can either jail you for up to 90 days until you pay or suspend your license for 30 days to one year. If you can’t pay because of financial hardship, you can notify the court, and the judge must offer an installment plan before imposing a suspension.⁶

If you plead not guilty, the case goes to municipal or circuit court. Because stop sign violations are civil forfeitures in Wisconsin rather than criminal offenses, the burden of proof is lower than “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The prosecution’s case usually rests on the officer’s testimony and any dashcam footage. Common defenses include arguing the stop sign was obscured, missing, or improperly placed, or that an emergency forced you to proceed without stopping.

Some courts let first-time offenders attend traffic safety school in exchange for reduced penalties, though availability varies by jurisdiction. Hiring an attorney for a simple stop sign ticket typically costs between $40 and several hundred dollars as a flat fee. A ticket that would push you past the 12-point suspension threshold is usually worth contesting.

When Running a Stop Sign Becomes a Crime

A basic stop sign ticket is a civil forfeiture. You pay the fine, take the points, and move on. If the violation causes harm, though, the case can shift from traffic court to criminal court.

If a driver’s behavior at the intersection endangers safety or causes harm, the state can charge reckless driving under Statute 346.62. That statute covers anyone who endangers the safety of a person or property through negligent vehicle operation, and carries escalating penalties depending on whether the negligence causes bodily harm or great bodily harm.⁷

At the far end, if running a stop sign causes a fatal crash, the driver can face a charge of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle under Statute 940.10, a Class G felony carrying up to 10 years in prison.⁸

Fleeing the officer who tries to pull you over opens a separate set of charges. Under Statute 346.04, knowingly failing to stop as promptly as safety allows after an officer’s signal carries a fine of up to $10,000, up to nine months in jail, or both. Actively fleeing or trying to elude becomes a Class H felony, a Class G felony if the flight causes bodily harm or property damage, and a Class D felony if someone dies as a result.⁹

1
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 346.46 – Vehicles to Stop at Stop Signs and School Crossings
2
Wisconsin Court System. 2025 Revised Uniform State Traffic Deposit Schedule
3
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 346.49 – Penalty for Violating ss. 346.44 to 346.485
4
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Wisconsin’s Point System
5
Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Graduated Driver License (GDL) Points and Convictions
6
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 345.47 – Judgment of Forfeitures, Costs, Fees, and Surcharges
7
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 346.62 – Reckless Driving
8
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 940.10 – Homicide by Negligent Operation of Vehicle
9
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 346.04 – Obedience to Traffic Officers, Signs and Signals; Fleeing From Officer